Black Russian
50 ml Vodka, 20 ml Coffee liqueur
Photo: White Russian - 2015-04-02 (1) by Tsungam · CC BY-SA 4.0 · All credits
Ingredients
- 50 ml Jigger The large side of a standard jigger, filled to the top: 50 ml, with 25 ml on the other side. Vodka
- 25 ml Jigger The small side of a standard jigger, filled to the top: 25 ml, with 50 ml on the other side. Coffee liqueur
- 25 ml Jigger The small side of a standard jigger, filled to the top: 25 ml, with 50 ml on the other side. Double cream - Or single cream if you prefer it lighter
- 1 grating Nutmeg (optional)
Measured in Millilitres (UK). Sign in to read these in American measures. Print a kitchen card at this size.
What the jigger, the spoons and the jug hold, in millilitres and in fluid ounces, is on the measures reference.
Quick version
- Build the vodka and coffee liqueur over ice.
- Float the cream on top and grate nutmeg over it.
Method
- Fill a rocks glass with ice.
- Pour in the vodka and the coffee liqueur and stir briefly.
- Float the cream over the back of a spoon so it sits in a layer on top.
- Grate a little nutmeg over the cream and serve with a stirrer.
Serve it
White Russian
A Black Russian with cream floated on top, and the layering is the whole point: stir it yourself and watch it turn the colour of milky coffee. It behaves like a pudding and asks nothing of you at all, which is exactly what some evenings require.
Getting it right
Pour the cream very slowly over the back of a spoon held just above the coffee liqueur, so it sits in a thick pale layer instead of plunging straight through. Use double cream rather than milk, and chill it first - cold cream floats far better than warm cream. Build the drink over a little ice so the layers keep their shape, and then do not stir it: drink it as it is, and let the last mouthful be different from the first.
Tasting notes
Sweet coffee and vanilla underneath a cool, rich cap of cream. Definitely a pudding, and definitely worth the extra two minutes.
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