Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

White Russian

Vodka and coffee liqueur under a lazy pour of cream — sweet, mellow and iconic. Stir if you like, or let the cream swirl.

Preparation~2 minSuper easyStrengthStrongabout 23% ABVMethodBuilt in glass5 guided stepsIngredients3Short (rocks) glass

Creamy

In the glassVodka · Coffee liqueur · Heavy cream

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear rocks glass with low straight sides and a heavy base. — Serving glassRocks glass

Set up before you pour

Use a rocks glass.

The low, sturdy bowl suits concentrated drinks and gives one large cube enough width.

Standard size: 300 ml10¼ oz
Ice & serve: Fill it with fresh ice cubes.
If you don’t own one: Use a small water tumbler with a heavy base.

Tools to set out

jigger or measuring spoon

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Scale to your short (rocks) glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

Vodka45 ml
Coffee liqueur22 ml
Heavy cream30 ml

Start making

From bottle to glass

Method

01
Ice the glass
Fill the glass with ice
02
Measure and pour
Pour 45 ml vodka
- Vodka
03
Measure and pour
Add 22 ml coffee liqueur
- Coffee liqueur
04
Stir around the ice
Stir gently to combine
05
Top gently
Top with 30 ml heavy cream
- Heavy cream

Know your drink

About the White Russian

A copper mug, Espresso Martini and clear vodka highball against evening city lights.

Lebowski put it back

Nobody was ordering these in 1997. The Big Lebowski arrived the next year and put the drink back on menus for good, largely because one character calls it a Caucasian and drinks them at nearly every hour of the film. Kahlúa has been leaning on the association ever since. Before that, the White Russian had spent two decades filed under things your parents drank.

Coffee liqueur is where this is won or lost. Kahlúa runs 20% ABV and is built like candy, which is fine if that is what you want and cloying if it is not. Cold-brew bottlings such as Mr Black are drier and considerably more bitter, and they let you pour equal parts vodka and liqueur without the result tasting like a milkshake. Chill the vodka too.

Common questions

White Russian FAQ

What cream goes in a White Russian?

Heavy cream floats prettiest and tastes richest; half-and-half mixes in lighter. Pour it over the back of a spoon to layer it, then let the drinker stir the marble swirl together. Milk works but thins the point of the drink.

What is a Black Russian?

The same drink minus the cream — vodka and coffee liqueur over ice, invented in 1949 Brussels. The White Russian is its creamier 1960s descendant, immortalized by The Big Lebowski as "the Dude’s" Caucasian.

What ingredients are in a White Russian?

A classic White Russian calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Vodka, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Coffee liqueur, 30 ml (1 oz) Heavy cream. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a White Russian?

A standard White Russian is roughly 23% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

Is a White Russian shaken or stirred?

A White Russian is built directly in the glass over ice — no shaker required. Add the ingredients in order and give it a brief, gentle stir.

What glass do you serve a White Russian in?

Serve a White Russian in a rocks glass (old fashioned glass), over fresh ice cubes.

How many calories are in a White Russian?

One White Russian has approximately 270 calories, estimated from the standard spec above. Bigger pours, extra syrup or sweetened mixers raise that number quickly.

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