Gingerbread

Gingerbread is one of those quintessential holiday flavours that brings forth images of cozy evenings huddled up by the fire. Its existence in Europe may even go as far back as 992 AD when it was reportedly brought to France by Gregory of Nicopolis, an Armenian monk. Since then, it has been a popular holiday treat and goes by many names like Pfefferkuchen, perník, pain d’épice, and paprenjak. And with warm spices like ginger, cloves, and cinnamon, its easy to see how it became a holiday staple.

While developing recipes for Christmas cocktails, we knew that gingerbread was a flavour we wanted to incorporate. We also knew that we wanted to include a coffee-flavoured cocktail, and a White Russian seemed like a great option. The creamy, coffee flavour profile of a White Russian is reminiscent of a Bailey’s coffee on Christmas morning and the richness of the White Russian reminds us of other holiday staples like eggnog. The spiciness of gingerbread seemed like the perfect choice to pair with a White Russian. The warm spices in the infused vodka and cream perfectly balance the decadence of the White Russian, while the two flavour profiles come together to make the perfect Christmas cocktail for your next holiday gathering.

What is a White Russian?

A White Russian is a classic three ingredient cocktail that consists of vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream. Despite its popularity, the White Russian is actually a riff on another cocktail. Its predecessor, known as the Black Russian, is a cocktail made of vodka and coffee liqueur, served on the rocks. Despite its name, the Black Russian was not of Russian origin. In reality, it was created in 1949 by Gustave Tops, who was working at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels. Much like the Moscow Mule, the Russian name refers to the use of vodka in the cocktail. Since then, the Black Russian has served as a blueprint and as the inspiration for more than just the White Russian.

Some other Black Russian variations include:

• Paralyzer: a cocktail made of vodka, coffee liqueur, cola, and milk
• Mudslide: vodka, coffee liqueur, Irish cream, and cream, shaken and served up
• Irish Black Russian: vodka and coffee liqueur topped with an Irish stout

The White Russian rose to popularity during the 1960’s when cream was added to the classic Black Russian. The cocktail slowly waned in popularity over the decades until the Coen Brothers 1998 film, The Big Lebowski, was released. Being the preferred cocktail of the Dude has cemented the White Russian’s popularity ever since.

How to Make it

Infuse the vodka

To a jar or similar container, add the vodka, ginger, cinnamon, anise, and cloves. Allow this to sit until the vodka has the desired flavour. For us, this took about 48 hours, but it may take shorter or longer depending on your preference as well as the age of your spices.

Strain out the spices. The infused vodka will be shelf-stable and can be stored with your other spirits. This infused vodka is also easily scalable if you want to make a large batch.

Make the syrup and infuse the cream

In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil and add the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, anise, and vanilla extract. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Take the saucepan off the heat and allow it to cool completely before straining out the solids.

The syrup should last 2-4 weeks in the fridge and its shelf life can be extended by adding a small amount of vodka or another neutral spirit. This recipe can also be easily doubled or tripled for a large batch of syrup. Once your syrup is ready, add it to a jar with some cream and shake it to combine. Set this aside until you are ready to make the cocktail.

Make the cocktail

In a chilled Old Fashioned glass, add the spiced vodka and coffee liqueur. Add ice and give it a quick stir before topping it with your infused cream.

Top the cocktail with freshly grated cinnamon, garnish with a cinnamon stick, and enjoy!