White Russian Amarula co*cktail Drink Recipe (2024)

Learn how to make the best Amarula co*cktail recipe.

Our quick & easy White Russian is one of our favourite co*cktails with Amarula, a cream liqueur distilled in South Africa.

The boozy coffee drink can be served warm without ice or cold on the rocks.

This homemade White Russian Amarula co*cktail features premium vodka, Amarula cream liqueur, espresso coffee, milk and ground nutmeg.

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What Is A White Russian co*cktail?

A White Russian is a co*cktail made with vodka, coffee liqueur and cream served with ice in an old fashioned glass.

Traditional White Russian recipes typically feature vodka, coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua or Tia Maria) and cream and have been referenced with a grin at bars as an “adult milkshake.”

The White Russian co*cktail became popular in the ’60s when a bartender added a bit of cream to theBlack Russian, rendering it white. Neither drink is Russian in origin, but the name refers to the vodka, a spirit often associated with the region.

The White Russian went on to suffer from an antiquated reputation until the 1998 movie The Big Lebowski breathed new life into the co*cktail with Jeff Bridges’ character, the Dude, sipping it exclusively, all the time. It’s one of pop culture’s best drinks-related successes, right up there with Sex and the City’s impact on 90s martini culture.

Our Amarula co*cktail pays homage to the White Russian by muddling premium vodka with whole milk, espresso coffee and South Africa’s iconic cream liqueur.

Join Dobbernationloves founder Andrew Dobson in the kitchen by signing up for a fun virtual cooking class! Classes begin with a co*cktail that you can sip while preparing 2-3 recipes that are curated around a unique culinary theme. Check out our current Cooking Class Schedule!

Travel To South Africa To Taste The Best Amarula co*cktail

I love traveling to Africa.

As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals all over Africa, from authentic markets to award winning restaurants.

For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for local recipes via adventures that had me zig-zagging through Morocco, Egypt, Kenya, Namibia and South Africa.

I landed in Johannesburg with my family, bleary eyed after 24 hours of flying time, excited to enjoy a two week road trip of South Africa. Our trip would have us visiting Kruger National Park, The Panorama Route, Port Elizabeth, Addo Elephant National Park, Tsitsikamma to Wilderness, Oudtshoorn to Hermanus, Stellenbosch and Franschhoek, and Cape Town.

After we arrived at our first hotel I’ll never forget how our safari tour guide immediately welcomed us with a shot of Amarula Cream Liqueur, the country’s ubiquitous drink.

Amarula is a cream liqueur from South Africa made with sugar, cream and the fruit of the African marula tree which is also locally called the Elephant Tree or the Marriage Tree. It is similar in taste to Baileys Irish Cream.

Elephants enjoy eating the fruit of themarulatree.Because of the plants association with elephants, the South African distiller made the big beats its symbol and supports elephant conservation efforts, co-funding the Amarula Elephant Research Programme at theUniversity of Natal in Durban.

Best Selling Vodka

In the 90’s vodka was all the rage, as martini bars sprung up in co*cktail-loving North American cities like Toronto and New York.

Here are some of theworld’s best selling vodka brandsand our local small batch favourites that are perfect for muddling a White Russian:

• Grey Goose: the world’s top selling premium vodka has been produced in France since the 1990s.
• Belvedere: is a close second for world’s favourite premium vodka brand. The Polish rye vodka is named after Belweder, the Polish presidential palace in Warsaw.
• Stolichnaya: also known as Stoli, is produced in Riga, Latvia. The brand produces a wide variety of flavoured vodkas, perfect for seasonal co*cktail parties.
• Titos: began as a small-batch vodka brand distilled in Texas. Today, it’s recognized as the best selling vodka in America. Titos is made from corn, making it a gluten-free friendly spirit.
• Ketel One: is a Dutch premium vodka brand with a flavour palette offering hints of honey and citrus.
• Absolut: is an iconic Swedish distiller and was the top selling vodka brand globally for decades. The brand offers a colourful collection of flavoured vodka bottles.
• Smirnoff: this Russian brand was founded in Moscow and today sells 39 different vodka flavours.
• Iceberg Vodka: the top selling vodka in Canada is made from icebergs off the coast of Newfoundland.
• Dillon’s Distillery: ThisBeamsville,Ontario producer makes 2 small batch vodkas near Niagara.
• MoneyBag Vodka: From rock icon Gene Simmons of KISS. Crafted in Niagara with 100% Canadian wheat. Gold filtered and distilled 5 times for an exceptionally smooth taste.

Before hosting a swanky Amarula co*cktail soiree you’ll need to ensure you have the best bartender tools and co*cktail equipment.

• co*cktail Kit: co*cktail kits are the perfect gift for newbie mixology fans as they include basic bartender tools like a jigger, shaker and spoon.
• co*cktail Shaker: a bartender’s best friend. Purchase a premium co*cktail shaker to muddle or shake up your favourite pink gin co*cktails.
• co*cktail Glassware: make sure your bar is stocked with a selection of unique glassware to show off your favourite co*cktail creations.
• Hawthorne Strainer:this unique strainer features tightly wound coils and perforated holes. It keeps ice and other large ingredients like lime wedges in your co*cktail shaker rather than in the glass.
• Bar Spoons: slender and long bar spoons are a must-have when stirring drinks.
• Bottle Opener: easily open bottles of beer or cider with the flick of your wrist or purchase a corkscrew for fine wine.
• Pouring Spout: once you’ve opened a new bottle of gin insert these affordable pourers to make co*cktail assembly a breeze.
• Cutting Board: purchase a petite cutting board for your bar to slice garnishes or citrus wedges like lime, orange, lemon or grapefruit.
• Ice Bucket: chill bottles of gin quickly in an ice bucket or keep by the bar when muddling gin mixers into cool creations.
• Ice Crusher: fans of the Mint Julep love an ice crusher.
• Ice Cube Kit:we suggest purchasing a selection of ice cube trays. Silicone styles are our favourite as they’re easy to clean and are available in various shapes and sizes.
• Jigger: use a jigger to accurately measure spirits, juices, syrups and shrubs.
• Juicer: invest in an electronic juicer or buy an affordable hand-held to easily juice fresh citrus like lemons and limes.
• Muddler: fans of the Mojito love a sturdy muddler to mix mint and lime. Muddler’s are handy for any co*cktail featuring ingredients that need a pounding like fresh herbs or citrus wedges.
• Citrus Peeler&Zester: adorn your craft co*cktails with a thick citrus peel or finer ribbons of lime or lemon zest.
• Rimmer: Bloody Mary and Caesar lovers should outfit their bar with a handy rimmer for salting and sugaring glassware.

White Russian Amarula co*cktail Ingredients

Our creamy Amarula co*cktail recipe is made with fresh and premium ingredients.

• Vodka: we suggest using Grey Goose, Absolut or MoneyBag Vodka.
• Espresso: we suggest using a Nespresso machine to pull two shots of espresso.
• Amarula: the South African cream liqueur is prepared with marula fruit and has a sweet caramel flavour.
• Whole Milk: we suggest using whole milk as it thins out the thicker Amarula but you can also use half and half cream.
• Nutmeg: add a pinch of ground nutmeg or ground cinnamon to the co*cktail before serving.

Amarula co*cktail Tips

This Amarula co*cktail recipe is easy to make at home, ready to serve in under 10 minutes.

We love serving this White Russian-inspired drink during the Christmas holiday season as it features festive spices like ground nutmeg or cinnamon. It can be served as a dessert co*cktail, perfect for those craving a boozy adult milkshake.

Pair the festive holiday co*cktail with some of our favourite Christmas recipes such as Festive Fresh Fig Frangipane Pistachio Tartlets, Oatmeal Cranberry Cookies, Gevulde Speculaas Dutch Cherry Almond Spice Cookies, Ginger Spiced Banana Pear Muffins, Kardemummabullar Swedish Cardamom Buns, Christmas Cranberry and White Chocolate Muffins and Gianduja Lindt Lindor Chocolate Cake.

Our Amarula co*cktail recipe below is listed for one person. If you’re hosting a large gathering feel free to multiply the ingredients by the number of guests and muddle the drink in a punch bowl or jug rather than a co*cktail shaker.

Serve the co*cktail in your prettiest glassware with whole ice cubes if you prefer a cold drink or pour the hot espresso straight into the glass for a winter warmer.

If you’re serving the drink as an adult dessert and love ice cream we suggest serving it with a scoop of Maple Black Walnut Ice Cream.

You May Also Enjoy The co*cktail Recipes…

• Vegan Eggnog Aquafaba co*cktail
• Christmas Old Fashioned co*cktail
• Vodka Blood Orange co*cktail
• Clarified Gin and Milk Punch co*cktail
• Batida de Coco Brazilian Coconut Cachaça co*cktail
• Tommy’s Margarita co*cktail
• Raspberry Gin Fizz Chambord co*cktail
• Iced Irish Coffee co*cktail
• Vodka Mojito co*cktail Recipe
• Lavender Gin co*cktail Lemonade Fizz
• Rhubarb and Ginger Gin co*cktail
• Mint Chocolate After Eight co*cktail
• Brandy Manhattan Cognac co*cktail
• Baileys Apple Pie co*cktail Recipe
• Baileys Iced Coffee co*cktail
• Aperol Gin co*cktail
• Irish Whiskey and Apple Juice

How To Make A White Russian Amarula co*cktail Recipe

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