White Russian with Kahlua Recipe

The White Russian with kahlua is a rich and creamy coffee cocktail. If you love cream in your coffee this White russian cocktail recipe is perfect for you.

The White Russian is a cream cocktail that has been around since the for decades. This popular cocktail is made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream. One of the most well known vodka cocktails, the White Russian was made popular after the film “The Big Lebowski” featured it.

This is an easy cocktail to make and a delicious drink to sip in the evenings. This delicious cocktail uses staple ingredients that are readily available in most wet bars.

Watch me make these 5 really Easy Vodka Drinks beginning with the Moscow Mule. The White Russian is the second cocktail in this video line up.

What is the difference between a White Russian and a Paralyzer cocktail?

The difference between a White Russian and a Paralyzer cocktail is the ingredients. A White Russian contains vodka, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream. A Paralyzer cocktail has vodka, coffee liqueur, cola, and heavy cream. The paralyzer is made up of mostly Coco Cola, while the White Russian is an equal blend of the other three ingredients.

The black Russian is similar to the White Russian, the base for the Black Russian is the same. Vodka and Coffee liqueur are poured together in equal parts to make up the cocktail. There is no heavy cream in a Black Russian cocktail.

What Does a White Russian Cocktail taste like?

A White Russian is a strong vodka cocktail with notes of coffee, chocolate, and rich cream. The heavy whipping cream adds a delicious and rich creamy texture and flavor to the drink. The Vodka comes through the drink, choose a mid level vodka for a drink with stronger vodka flavors. Bottom shelf vodka will add an unpleasant and bitter taste that will overpower the flavor of the drink.

Will the cream curdle in a White Russian?

The heavy cream will not curdle in a White Russian. This is because the White Russian drink has a low acid content. Heavy cream curdles in cocktail that have a high acidic content in the drinks. The acid breaks down the casein in the cream and makes coagulate causing the curdling texture.

Check out our entire Cocktail Section for more interesting alcoholic drinks. Here’s a few to get you started.

This is a Creamy coffee drink with a kick. The White Russian cocktail will please all your cream with coffee fans. It makes a really comforting after dinner drink.

More Kahlua Cocktails:

History of Black and White Russians

The black Russian and White Russian drinks are very closely related as you might expect. They have a rather innocuous beginning. No cute stories about the origin of this drink.

The Black first appeared in 1949. By the 1960s Someone had decided to add cream and turn it white.

In 1965 the Oakland Tribune published the White Russian as a recipe. Firmly establishing the White as a delicious and popular coffee cocktail.

These russian cocktails are named Russians due to the vodka in them. They did not start out in Russia.

The white was popularized by the Coen Brothers 1998 movie The Big Lebowski.

Now the White Russian cocktail is a well known and well loved after dinner or happy hour drink. If you love creamy coffee this drink is a good fit.

More About the White Russian

How to make a White Russian:

We adore Kahlua coffee liqueur. However, any coffee liqueur will work for this recipe. If you have a bottle of Tia Maria liqueur laying about use that.

Like most kahlua drinks the white russian drink is versatile and easy. You only need three ingredients to complete this recipe. See how to make it on our video demonstration at the top of this post.

White Russian Ingredients:

This scrumptious kahlua cocktail with cream has acquired many variations since it first came on the cocktail scene in the mid 1060s.

The Vodka:

As with many strongly flavored alcoholic drinks this one pretty much obliterates the taste of the vodka. So go ahead and choose a less expensive brand. We usually go with Skyy or Smirnoff.

Coffee Liqueur:

You can use any coffee liqueur you prefer of course. Kahlua is my personal favorite.

Kahlua liqueur is distilled of rum, vanilla beans, sugar and Arabica coffee. It’s a fantastic flavor.

Cream:

The cream you choose will determine the richness of your White russian. The more fat the more rich your drink. We call for heavy cream to give you the best experience with this recipe.

The Process:

As you see in the video this could not be easier to do. You don’t need a cocktail shaker or a blender. No fancy equipment at all.

1. Throw some ice in a glass
2. Add the vodka
3. add the kahlua
4. top it with cream
5. stir it up if desired.
6. Enjoy

Variations:

You can easily add your personal touch to this drink. If you want to play around with it here are some ideas.

Warm White Russian:

• Omit the Ice.
• Pour the ingredients into an Irish Coffee Glass.
• Heat up the ingredients for about 30 seconds in your microwave.

You can make it as directed here or change up the recipe to suit yourself.

White Russian Baileys Version:

Baileys Irish cream liqueur adds a creamy cocoa flavor into this cocktail. So yum and it works great in coffee drinks like this one.

Baileys also is a good companion for kahlua. They great partners in coffee cocktails.

The Addition of Baileys cream in this cocktail is popular. AND it brings up the alcohol kick. The Recipe for this Baileys version is our recipe card NOTES section.

White Russian Calories:

This drink is a rather hard calorie hitter with the heavy cream.

• To reduce the calories in this drink use light cream, half and half or even skim milk. The richness will reduce a bit but so will the calories.
• The complete calorie breakdown for the cream version is in our recipe card.
• Of course you can also choose a sugar free coffee liqueur. But fair warning. The flavor is not the same as kahlua.

Garnish Idea:

• Whip up some heavy cream with a bit of simple syrup and kahlua to for a rich whip cream topping.
• You can shake it in your cocktail shaker if you have the muscle.
• OR whip the cream, kahlua and simple syrup in the amounts you desire with an immersion blender until it has stiff peaks.

Presentation Suggestions:

• Choose an Irish coffee glass.
• Sprinkle shaved chocolate over the top.
• Serve with chocolate covered espresso beans on the side or put one on the whipped cream topping.

White Russian Recipe Card:

Continue to Content

Yield: 1 cocktail

White Russian

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 5 minutes

An easy and delicious coffee cocktail. The White Russian is a fabulously popular after dinner cocktail you can make in under five minutes.

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Ingredients

• 2 oz. Vodka
• 1 oz. coffee liqueur
• 3 oz. Cream

Instructions

1. fill your glass with ice
2. Add the vodka
3. Pour in the Kahlua
4. Top with heavy cream

Notes

Garnish Ideas:

• Make it in a Irish coffee glass with the following additions.
• Whip up some heavy cream with a bit of simple syrup and kahlua to dollop on top for a rich addition. You can shake it in your cocktail shaker if you have the muscle or whip it with a immersion blender.
• Sprinkle shaved chocolate over the top.
• Serve with chocolate covered espresso beans on the side. Or set one on top of your decadent whipped cream topping.

For a stronger coffee flavor:

1. Reduce or omit the ice
2. double the kahlua to 2 oz.

Remember you are also increasing the alcohol content as well.

White Russian Recipe Baileys version:

1. 3 oz. Baileys Original Irish Cream.
2. 1 oz. Smirnoff vodka.
3. 1/2 oz. coffee liqueur(half a shot)
4. 3/4 oz. milk.
5. Ice cubes.

To Reduce the Calories:

• To reduce the calories in this drink use light cream, half and half or even skim milk. The richness will reduce a bit but so will the calories.
• The complete calorie breakdown for the cream version is in our recipe card below.
• Of course you can also choose a sugar free coffee liqueur. But fair warning. The flavor is not the same as kahlua.

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Nutrition Information

Yield

1

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 540Total Fat 32gSaturated Fat 21gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 10gCholesterol 101mgSodium 27mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 0gSugar 14gProtein 3g

The calories in this drink can be significantly reduced by substituting skim milk for the cream.

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