Black Russian

The Black Russian is a simple, two-ingredient cocktail that consists of vodka and coffee liqueur. It’s the forebearer to the more popular White Russian, which follows the same base but includes cream.

Despite its name, the Black Russian has no direct ties to the country that shares its name. Rather, the moniker simply comes from its use of vodka, much the same as the Moscow Mule, which was invented in Los Angeles.

The Black Russian’s origins seem to lay with a bartender named Gustave Tops at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels, Belgium, sometime around 1949. It’s said that Tops first created the drink for Perle Mesta, a U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, who was a socialite known for hosting lavish parties.

Why the Black Russian Works

Though a seemingly basic, two-part cocktail, the Black Russian still follows a well-established cocktail flavor template: spirit, sweet, and bitters. In the drink, the spirit is of course vodka, while coffee liqueur pulls double duty as both the sweetening and bittering agent, albeit with an emphasis on the former.

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While traditionally made with Kahlúa, a range of fantastic coffee liqueurs are now available on the market that allow you to tailor the drink to your specific tastes. A bottle like New Orleans-made St. George’s NOLA Coffee Liqueur will add notes of chicory and a more heavily roasted coffee aroma. If you’re looking for a less sweet option, Fratelli Branca Borghetti emphasizes the coffee’s bitterness and brings more espresso-like flavors. If you looking to mix things up but want to keep it accessible, Australia-based Mr. Black Coffee Liqueur balances both sides, while keeping the caffeine level high (containing up to 40% the amount of caffeine found in a shot of espresso).

All told, the cocktail still works fantastically as an after-dinner option, and its simplicity remains a selling point. When made with high quality vodka and a thoughtful choice of coffee liqueur, the Black Russian is still a masterclass in how complex cocktail flavor can be created with minimal ingredients.