#russiandrinks

Russian Coffee

This is a blended cocktail that's for dessert. Apparently there was a time that people associated vodka and Russian people with sexiness and desserts--not at all kidding, either. Vodka became quite the dessert spirit in the 90s and this is one of the results. Coffee liqueur makes this drink like a White Russian smoothie.

1 oz. vodka

2 oz. coffee liqueur (homemade coffee liqueur used)

1 1/2 oz. half-and-half

White Russian

"Careful, man. There's a beverage here!" So says the Dude from The Big Lebowski.

No finer words have been said regarding this dessert cocktail. And if you are the Dude, you want it at all times of the day.

Like a milkshake with coffee, you know why this drink exists. It's surprisingly addictive, Dude!

2 oz. vodka

1 oz. heavy cream

1 oz. coffee liqueur

Count Stroganoff

I've made this drink before. It has that unmistakable taste of lemon juice sweetened by creme de cacao. But the last time the drink had more lemon juice and possibly a gin base. This cocktail makes a lot of sense, it tastes classic, if not a bit too sweet, but there's nothing unplesent here. And that I think is the point of Count Stroganoff, a classic Russian-themed cocktail named after the famous Russian historian, art collector and philanthropist (Sergei Gregoryevich--I think) and owner of the Stroganov palace.

Kremlin Cocktail

Another Russian-themed drink with creme de cacao. This really shows the limited thinking people once had about mixing with vodka and Soviet Russia in general. I think the idea was that the drink would be for dessert (vodka being easy to sweeten and enjoy with cream) and that the color would look like snow. Stolichnaya is used here simply for authenticity as a real Russian vodka. This was pretty good as far as old-school dessert drinks go. I'm really finding ways to enjoy creme de cacao because of this Russian series of drinks.

Russian Cocktail

Like the Ninotchka, the Russian Cocktail is a vodka and creme de cacao drink. I'm finding that this combination is very pleasing (especially when it comes to the clarity of the drink) if not a little sugary. Gin, like Vigilant, adds spicy flavors that make drinking it more interesting.

2 oz. vodka (Stolichnaya used)

1 1/2 oz. creme de cacao

1 1/2 oz. gin (Vigilant used)

Ninotchka

Ninotchka comes from the Latin/ Hebrew word for "little girl," and is applied in Russian as "great-granddaughter." The name itself and the use of vodka puts it in what I'm styling the "Family" category of sweet cocktails like the Godmother and Godchild. It's pretty good for all that, and as a Russian drink, I thought it appropriate to use Stolichnaya vodka.

Tovarisch

I feel like I've had this cocktail before. It's not the first time that lime juice and Jagermeister have been used together and the taste is strikingly familiar. But I've never had both lime and Jagermeister in such large proportions. I was steeling myself for an awful experience, and this is coming from someone who actually likes Jager a little. It is more that an ounce of lime juice is often super tart and there's no added sugar in this cocktail to calm that down. It relies solely on the Jager. Turns out that it all works much better than I thought. The other puzzling thing about this drink is the name. It is Russian for "comrade" and suggests a friendly relationship between Russin vodka and German Jagermeister. This is a lot like the Allies (Jager and English gin) cocktail and equally puzzling because Russians and Germans were seldom allies (likewise with Russians and Brits) so I'm not sure what that says. Offhandedly, there was a museum sailing ship in Germany named Tovarisch, so that's something, I guess.