Ingredients
- Caramel syrup for garnish
- 1½ ounces salted caramel vodka
- ¾ ounce coffee liqueur
- ¾ ounce cream
- Ice
Instructions
- Swirl the caramel syrup in a rocks glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, add ice, salted caramel vodka, coffee liqueur, and cream.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into prepared glass over fresh ice.
Variations and Substitutions
There's a wide world of caramel and salted caramel, so no need to stress if one recipe doesn't look perfect. There's a salted caramel white Russian combination for everyone.
- Instead of vodka, try salted caramel whiskey.
- Use plain vodka with salted caramel coffee liqueur.
- Swap regular cream for salted caramel Irish cream.
- Plain or vanilla vodka in combination with salted caramel Irish cream is a flavorful twist.
- Use a spiked salted caramel cold brew instead of coffee liqueur.
- Add a splash of almond liqueur for a subtle nutty flavor.
Garnishes
The classic white Russian doesn't have a traditional garnish, and the salted caramel riff uses a simple caramel swirl. Luckily, there are plenty of options to choose from if you want yours to be more dressed up or if you want to keep it simple.
- Use caramel on the rim, dipping the rim in a saucer of salted caramel.
- Instead of salted caramel, dip just a piece of the rim in regular caramel and sprinkle coarse sea salt on the rim.
- Swirl caramel on top of the drink.
- Pierce several soft caramels with a cocktail skewer.
- Peel an apple, twisting it into a circle, piercing with a cocktail skewer to maintain its shape.
About the Salted Caramel White Russian
Based on the classic white Russian, which first began appearing in glasses around the 1960s, the salted caramel white Russian hasn't deviated much from the original recipe. As time went on, the white Russian began to undergo changes as ingredients were swapped around or changed, creating the flavored white Russians that have rocketed in popularity during the modern cocktail era.
Today the salted caramel white Russian is an example of how this cocktail has grown and changed to better suit individual tastes and preferences, without losing the cocktail that's at its core. With an abundance of caramel and salted caramel flavors, this new white Russian is here to stay.
Salty, Sweet, the Perfect Treat
The addition of salted caramel to the original white Russian completely transforms the profile of the cocktail but without losing the spirit of the classic. The sweet and salty flavors complement the cream and vodka, with the rich coffee notes weaving through seamlessly, especially during the winter season. This will make anyone a believer in white Russians and all their glory.
