Gustave Tops, a Belgian bartender, created the Black Russian recipe in the late 1940s. Tops was working in the bar of the Hotel Metropole in Brussels, Belgium's capital, at the time.
Mr. Perle Mesta, the American Ambassador, was one of his regular guests, so he invented the Black Russian cocktail in his honor. It is divided into two sections. The first is Vodka, the Russian (drinking) culture's emblem. The second is Kahla, a well-known Mexican coffee liqueur produced from the best arabica coffee beans, sugar, and rum.
Spirit Used
Vodka
Ingredients
¼ ounce chocolate-flavored liqueur
½ ounce coffee-flavored liqueur
2 ounces vanilla vodka
Ice
Coffee beans for garnish
Recipe
1. Chill a cocktail glass or martini glass.
2. In a mixing glass, combine the chocolate and coffee liqueurs with the vodka.
3. Add ice and stir to chill.
4. Strain into the chilled martini glass.
5. Garnish with coffee beans.
