Black Flannel Academy

Black Russian

Coffee · Liqueur · Spirit-forward · Vodka
Black Russian cocktail
Photo: Will Shenton · CC BY-SA 3.0. “Black Russian.jpg”. Resized for display.

Vodka carries concentrated coffee sweetness without cream; chilling and dilution keep the liqueur from feeling heavy.

IBA published specification · 1 reference serve.

Glassware

Rocks glass

Technique

Build

Ice

Fresh cubes

Garnish

None specified

Preparation effort

Low

Ingredients & measurements

Ingredient mL US fl oz Source measure / qualification
Vodka 50 1.69 50 ml Vodka
Coffee Liqueur 20 0.68 20 ml Coffee Liqueur

Converted equivalents are rounded for display; use one measurement system consistently. Dashes, spoonfuls, fruit counts and unspecified top-ups remain source measures. A blank equivalent does not mean zero.

How to make it

Combine the ingredients over fresh ice and stir gently.

Glass: Rocks glass. Ice: Fresh cubes. Garnish: None specified.

Flavor & balance

  • Sweet (supporting): Sweeteners, fruit or sweetened modifiers round the attack and add weight; product sugar varies.
  • Bitter (supporting): Cocktail bitters or coffee contribute a bitter accent; a small dose need not dominate.

Assess sweetness, bitterness and tactile drying separately. These flavor expectations are based on recipe structure, not measured tasting scores. Actual products, ice and dilution will change the result.

Preparation & batching

Service complexity: low. Batchability: premix with dilution trial.

  • Measure and label the chosen product specification; chill appropriate glassware.
  • Set coffee extraction or preparation separately; standardize its yield and temperature.

Finish chilling, dilution and garnish at service. Trial the actual serving method before approving a batch. Workload is an editorial assessment; no labor timing or storage validation is claimed.

Spirit & ingredient choices

Style Role Evidence level Qualification
S102 — Vodka — Neutral Character base qualified Unflavored neutral vodka is the working interpretation; the source does not specify retained-base character or distillation details.
S059 — Coffee Liqueur co-base documented Named ingredient fits this style family; confirm the chosen product identity.

Recipe notes & variations

For a Black Flannel variation, change one component at a time and record the selected product, proof, sweetener concentration and dilution. Compare it with this reference before naming or publishing the variation.

Compare: B-52, Mudslide, White Russian.

Sources & further reading

  • International Bartenders Association — checked 2026-09-18. Recipe identity and published ingredient specification; editorial sensory and workload assessments are not source tasting results.

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