Bartenderly
The White Russian, Revisited
How to pay tribute to “The Dude” without the cow stuff
Want a cocktail veganized? Bought a bottle of something and don’t know what to do with it? Need a cool mocktail? Want to make your own liqueur? We’ll drink to that. Bartenderly is here to make all your vegan drinking dreams come true. If you want to check on whether a specific brand of alcohol is vegan, I recommend Barnivore.
When I started this column, my thoughts naturally immediately leapt to cocktails that traditionally use dairy products and how to make them vegan. But the thing is, with most creamy classics, such as the Grasshopper and the Brandy Alexander — and correct me if I’m wrong — people just aren’t out there ordering them in great quantities these days. People want Aperol Spritzes, Negronis, Margaritas and Long Island Iced Teas, but they don’t necessarily want a glass of minty cream.
But then I remembered that perennial classic: The White Russian. This cocktail was first documented in the 1960s and had its peak in the disco haze of the 1970s, before waning in popularity until the slow-burn cult popularity of the 1998 film The Big Lebowski made it seem like a discerning choice.
Would this drink have remained a relic of the past if not for being the chosen beverage of Jeff…
