White Russian

40ml Vodka
25ml Coffee Liqueur
70ml Half/Half (1:1 Milk/Cream)

Add alcohol to a shaker and shake briefly. Pour into a rocks glass over ice. Top up with ice and layer cream onto the drink. The cream will naturally layer over the alcohol when poured slowly.

Three Coffee Beans

The iconic White Russian cocktail (and also its burly brother the Black Russian) was created by Gustave Tops, a bartender at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels. Its creation apparently was in honour of Perle Mesta the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg, in 1949.

The cocktail is super simple and easy to drink, which is perhaps in part, why the White Russian cocktail has become such a staple in international cocktail culture. The other part is undoubtedly the influence of cult film The Big Lebowski. The White Russian cocktail features heavily through this hugely popular film and brought the White Russian back into the spotlight.

The fantastic Cucù Cocktail Bar shared their version of the White Russian with us and we love the change of balance in a higher ration of vodka to coffee liqueur.

We spoke to Ilenia Cortese from Cucù Cocktail Bar   which is a highly unusual cocktail bar in Bassano del Grappa in northern Italy, about what makes the venue so special.

Patrons ring a bell for orders either for takeaway, at the specially designated window on the square or they can come into the cosy and intimate cocktail bar to sit and drink the beautiful cocktails.

Its a tiny venue – only space for 8 people and this can be reserved with a personal bartender completely at your disposal. We just love these quirky and unusual cocktails bars.