White Russian

The White Russian is a sweet, creamy after-dinner cocktail built from vodka, coffee liqueur and fresh cream, poured over ice in a short tumbler. It is, in essence, a Black Russian — vodka and coffee liqueur — with cream floated on top, which softens the dark, sweet coffee base into something rich and dessert-like. The drink layers visibly in the glass, the pale cream marbling down through the brown liqueur before it is stirred together. Despite the name it has no Russian origin; the "Russian" refers only to the vodka. It is an easy, indulgent built drink that became a pop-culture fixture through the 1998 film The Big Lebowski.