Blind Russian
Vodka and coffee liqueur with Irish cream instead of plain dairy — a richer, whiskey-inflected White Russian that Baileys' 1974 launch made possible.
- 1Fill a rocks glass with ice.
- 2Add vodka and coffee liqueur and Irish cream.
- 3Stir gently to combine.
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The Blind Russian is a dessert cocktail variation on the White Russian — the coffee liqueur and vodka drink made famous by The Big Lebowski — that replaces the cream component with Irish cream liqueur. Baileys Irish Cream, launched in 1974 as the world's first commercial Irish cream liqueur, adds a layer of whiskey-inflected creaminess and sweetness beyond what plain dairy cream provides. The substitution of Irish cream for regular cream produces a denser, more complex drink with a slight whiskey note that gives it additional depth. The Blind Russian emerged during the dessert cocktail boom of the 1990s, when bartenders explored variations on established templates by substituting one creamy ingredient for another. It belongs to a broader family of Russian-named cocktails built on the vodka-and-coffee-liqueur base.
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Everything you need to make a great Blind Russian at home.
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