The Black Russian cocktail – straight up yet versatile

The Black Russian cocktail has a fascinating history and was invented in 1949 at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels, by Belgian barman Gustave Tops.

The Black Russian cocktail owes its name to the use of vodka, a Russian spirit, and the blackness of coffee liqueur, a tantalising combination which appeared in 1949 at the start of the Cold War. Making a mysterious dark drink by mixing it with a Russian spirit was fitting for the times.

The variety, depth and combination of each of the different ingredients, makes the Black Russian a versatile cocktail, but its fascination with coffee as a base flavour, makes it fair to ask what the difference is between a Black Russian and an Espresso Martini?

Punch over strength?

A Black Russian cocktail is traditionally made with two main ingredients namely; vodka and coffee liqueur.

The Espresso Martini, however, takes the coffee infused flavour and strength one notch further by adding a shot of freshly brewed espresso. The extra work involved in also making an espresso on top of the cocktail, is, in part, why bartenders don’t like making them. Let’s make one anyway!