By Sushmita Sengupta
Made with vodka, coffee liqueur (e.g., Kahlúa or Tia Maria) and cream served with ice in an old-fashioned glass, White Russian is a party favourite for a reason.
To understand the origins of the drink, we need to know about the black Russian, which first appeared in 1949. Upon the addition of cream, the drink becomes White Russian.
Both the drinks don’t seem to have any links with Russia, but the usage of vodka as the primary spirit, gives the drink its name.
The cocktail also found mention in the Oxford English Dictionary, but it truly gained iconic popularity in the year 1998.
In the film The Big Lebowski, that released in 1998; the protagonist, Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski keeps sipping on the drink. He also refers to the drink as a ‘Caucasian’ on many occasions.