The Classic Cocktail Coffee Lovers Need In Their Rotation

Coffee cocktails are a win-win for coffee fiends. They are eminently sippable and easy to make, often requiring only an ingredient or two beyond the requisite coffee component. While white Russians, with their uber creamy profile may be more familiar, a black Russian may be the drink you never knew you needed. This somewhat under the radar cocktail skips the dairy and its often cloying dessert-level sweetness, and instead delivers an icy cold, earthy tipple with coffee-forward simplicity.

The black Russian dates back to the 1940s when eminent hostess and American ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta, was visiting Brussels. There, the bartender at the Hotel Metropole was moved to create a drink in her honor. The combination of Russian vodka and coffee liquor was somewhat daring at the time, as the Cold War was just materializing. Though more familiar today due to references in movies like "The Big Lebowski," the white Russian was a riff on the original black version that didn't arrive on the scene until the 1960s.

Even the most green mixologist can happily master a black Russian. The drink solely consists of ice and a 2-to-1 ratio of vodka to coffee liqueur. While Kahlúa is typically used for the creamy vanilla notes that this rum-based liquid lends, you could easily sub in a coffee liqueur of your choice. Top-rated coffee liqueurs, other than the standby, include Estate 98, Caffè Borghetti, and Mr. Black. A quick swirl and a final flourish with a cherry, orange slice, or even a dash of bitters and your slinky cocktail is served.

Since a black Russian is served over ice, it is rather forgiving in its ratios and makes a perfect liquid dessert. If you find yourself enjoying a black Russian, but are after a bit more buzz, you could also try an espresso martini, which follows similar ingredients and proportions, but adds a small amount of espresso on top (and perhaps some simple syrup). Or, forego the ratios and the stirred over ice versus shaken debate to try one of these canned coffee cocktails instead.