The Black Russian Was First Concocted In A Hotel Bar

Do you take your Russian black or with cream? You may overhear a bartender asking this question when helping customers decide if they want a White Russian or a Black Russian. Those looking for a drink containing plenty of vodka may decide the Russian cocktails are the drink for them. Chilled Magazine describes a White Russian as a cocktail made of vodka, coffee liqueur, and heavy cream, while the Black Russian is made with only vodka and coffee liqueur.

You may also remember White Russians as the signature drink of Jeff Bridges' character, The Dude, from the film "The Big Lebowski." So attached to The Dude's character are these coffee cocktails that there's even a specialty White Russian aptly named The Dude's Delight (via Thrillist), which adds Sambuca and cocoa powder to the drink.

But just what is the story behind these coffee-and-vodka-soaked cocktails? Where did they come from? Who invented them? And are they really Russian in origin at all? 

You may think food or drink named after a specific location would have originated in its namesake place. French bread comes from France, and New York-style pizza comes from New York. But you would be surprised to learn that the Black Russian has nothing to do with Russia. In fact, the drink has origins in Belgium.

According to MasterClass, the Black Russian was invented by Gustave Tops, a bartender in Brussels' Hotel Metropole, in 1949. As the story goes, Tops created the drink in honor of the United States Ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta. As to why the cocktail was made with vodka and coffee liqueur, Gary Regan of Liquor speculates that the drink was symbolic of the beginning of the Cold War. 

But this seems only to be the history of the Black Russian. Where does the White Russian come in? According to VinePair, the first official recipe for the drink in the United States appeared in a newspaper in Oakland, California, in 1965. The recipe called for vodka, Southern (a brand of coffee liqueur), and cream — similar if not the same as the modern-day White Russian recipe. 

If the White Russian and Black Russian cocktails were made in Brussels, why don't we call them Black Brussels or White Brussels? Why call them Russians at all? Perhaps it's not a matter of geography but more of what's in the drink that gives it its name.

The only reason it's called a Black Russian is simply because of the vodka in it — and you know how famous Russia is for its vodka. According to Macalester College, vodka has been in Russia for a long time, going back to the twelfth century as a medical disinfectant, thanks to its alcoholic properties. Over the years, vodka became a symbol of Russian culture and a staple of the economic and political times. Whether it was a military promotion, a royal wedding, or a family affair, vodka was a celebratory drink. 

Vodka is, among older generations of Russians, also seen as being healthy. As Russia Beyond tells us, there was even a report of a doctor advising a patient to avoid drinking all alcoholic spirits — except for vodka — following surgery. This is from the belief that good vodka is distilled several times over and thus does not contain any heavy oils or sugars. 

While not all Russians drink vodka, it's still a very popular drink there. Just as the Germans have their beer, so the Russians have vodka.