Black Russian

Before Lebowski, there was Perle Mesta – Ambassador Mesta, that is. In 1949, a Belgian barman whipped this up in honor of the visiting US ambassador to Luxembourg, cementing coffee liqueur’s place among the pantheon of “liqueurs you can put in vodka.” If you have one the zillions of flavors of regrettable dessert flavors available these days, try a half-and-half blend of regular vodka with the flavored vodka, and make up your own goofy “Something-or-other Russian” name for it.

Ingredients
- 2½ parts Vodka or Dessert vodka or Vanilla vodka
- 1 part Coffee liqueur
Instructions
Build in the order given in an ice-filled short glass.


Get the App
The Cocktail Party app puts this drink – and hundreds more – in your pocket, and tells you what you can make from the ingredients you have at home. It's the best $3.99 you'll ever spend on a drink.

Read more
- The Joy of Mixology by Gary Regan
