Black Russian

Serve in an

Photographed in an

Garnish:

Lemon slice & Luxardo Maraschino cherry on stick (sail)

How to make:

STIR all ingredients with ice and strain into ice-filled glass.

Review:

This popular cocktail is simple but tasty. Try with just a splash of cola (rather than also with the cream that makes a Colorado Bulldog).

Variant:

1. Served straight-up in a coupe glass.
2. A float of cream turns this into a White Russian.
3. Topped with cream and cola this becomes a Colorado Bulldog.

History:

Created in 1949 by Gustave Tops, a bartender at Metropolitan Hotel in Brussels, for Perle Skirvin Mesta, the U.S. ambassador to Luxembourg (1949-1953). She was a rich American socialite famous for her lavish parties, and as well as the cocktail, Perle was the inspiration for Irving Berlin's Broadway musical Call Me Madam and she appeared on the cover of TIME magazine in March 1949. She was the original "Hostess with the Mostess."

Nutrition:

One serving of Black Russian contains 197 calories.

Alcohol content:

• 1.7 standard drinks
• 29.35% alc./vol. (58.7° proof)
• 24.2 grams of pure alcohol