If you are familiar with alcohol – or coffee, Kahlua may not be a new word to you. It is a coffee-flavored alcoholic drink from Mexico which contains Arabica coffee, rum, vanilla bean, and sugar. It has been many people’s favorite for the rather refreshing, aromatic, and sweet tone to the liquor. Now, what if it meets Russian vodka? A bomb will then be born as a glass of Kahlua white Russian. We will shortly talk about this drink and how to make the DIY recipe of it. But first, let us get to know its “parents”.
KAHLUA
In 1936, four friends from Mexico decided to make a different kind of liqueur by mixing coffee and alcohol. They were Senior Blanco, Montalvo Lara and the Alvarez brothers. The combination of idea, source of rich coffee beans, and a brilliant chemist made the dream come true and they named it Kahlua – a word tweaked from Arabic ‘qahwa’ which means coffee. Made from the best ingredients in rural Veracruz, Mexico, the drink soon reached its fame.
In 1940, Kahlua made its way to the USA and people there went crazy over it. In 1948, it went all the way to Germany and its versatility turned Kahlua into a spirit of the party. Liqueur lovers started to mix it with other sorts of alcoholic drinks and ingredients to make Mexican Grasshopper, Black Russian, Brave Bull, Kahlua Sour, and many more cocktails.
In 1980’s, Kahlua became the world’s number one coffee liqueur with competitors trying to copy the taste – but none succeeded to surpass the wonderful taste of the one and only Kahlua. The content of alcohol in a bottle of Kahlua is 20% while the Especial edition contains 36% with thicker consistency and sweeter taste. It takes a long time for Kahlua to be produced because the whole ingredients need to be distilled to achieve the distinctive flavor and make it the best coffee liqueur in the world.
VODKA
When invented in the 900s, vodka was meant to be used as a disinfectant and wound treatment. It was simply just a concoction of alcohol and water people used for medicine, cosmetic, and rarely drinking. Only in the 13th century flavors from honey, roots, herbs and botanical essences were added to make raw vodka more acceptable by the tongue.
According to some researches, a Russian man can drink up to 180 bottles of vodka in a year making it the most cherished drink in the country. There is even a saying that even when a Russian has no money, they will never cut the vodka – they will only eat less. Russians also believe in the supernatural power of vodka that parents soak towels with it to compress their children’s fever or dab cotton balls to ease earache. Vodka and pepper is good to cure common cold in adults while vodka and pepper is for upset stomach.
Russians believe that the best vodka is supposed to be pure, odorless, tasteless, raw, fiery and elegant. Added flavor or aroma would only rob vodka off of its purity. You can imagine how strong this alcoholic drink is. But Russians love it because it helps them to deal with stress and the hard daily life in the country. They would usually drink vodka straight and cold from a shot glass; one gulp – no sipping. It is advised not to have meal right after drinking vodka, but many Russians ignore this and have lunch or dinner straight away. For lighter options, vodka can be added into a glass of juice, water, or beer.
WHITE RUSSIAN
Now it’s time to find out what could come out from a mixture of Kahlua and Vodka. Two powerful drinks in the same glass should taste exceptional! It was in 1955 when the cocktail was invented on Oakland, California. Let’s go back a bit to 1948 when a hostess in Brussels held a huge party for important people and at the same time invented Black Russian by mixing one part of Kahlua with two parts of Absolut Vodka on the rock. It became a sensational drink after that night. White Russian is the modification of Black Russian – the color refers to one part of heavy cream added to the cocktail.
There are a few versions of White Russian like a Blind Russian (a.k.a. Muddy Water) by substituting the cream with Irish Cream, a Mudslide (using both heavy and Irish cream), White Canadian (with goat’s milk), a Skinny Russian or Anna Kournikova (with skimmed milk), a White Cuban (using rum instead of vodka – hence the name), and a Dirty Russian (using chocolate milk). As you can see, alcoholic drinks have the most creative names actually.
So you are over 21, allowed to consume alcohol, know how to drink responsibly, and want to whip your own Kahlua White Russian? Here it goes the DIY Kahlua White Russian recipe just for you:
KAHLUA WHITE RUSSIAN
Ingredients:
- 1 part Vodka
- 2 parts Kahlua
- 1 part heavy cream or milk
Directions:
Put some rocks of ice in a glass, pour in the vodka and Kahlua, add the cream or milk last by pouring it over the back of a spoon. Swirl to mix. If you like it with flavors, try using Kahlua Hazelnut, Mocha, or French Vanilla. For a healthier option, you can use soy or skimmed milk. Enjoy!
You might notice that the heavy cream can be replaced with other sorts of milky or creamy liquid – even ice cream! – but, does it always have to use Vodka? The answer is yes, if you want the RUSSIAN White. The name comes after the vodka, not the place where the cocktails were invented. So, obviously, Vodka is a must in this mixture of alcoholic drink. Well, enjoy your Kahlua White Russian and remember to stay in the line.