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Cocktail History
The Mocha Spiced Rum Russian is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts, for a holiday sampling event. This inventive twist on the classic White Russian highlights Tattersall Distilling Blackstrap Rum, a robust, aged spirit with bold flavors and an intensity that’s balanced by the addition of homemade pumpkin spice syrup, coffee liqueur, cocoa, and cream, resulting in a luscious and well-rounded drink. To enhance its dessert-like appeal, the rim is coated in caramel and pumpkin pie spices, making it a cozy and indulgent treat perfect for the holiday season.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Blackstrap Rum: This is a heavy rum made with the blackstrap molasses from sugar cane, spices, alcohol, and water. I used Tattersall Distilling Barreled Blackstrap Rum.
White Rum: This is a type of rum made with molasses or sugar cane juice, alcohol, and water that is filtered and bottled right away without the aging process. I used J. Wray & Nephew Overproof White Rum.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup: This is a sweetener made with pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, brown sugar, white sugar, and water. I used this sous vide recipe.
Coffee Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with coffee, spices, sugar, alcohol, and water. I used Galliano Ristretto Espresso Liqueur.
Heavy Cream: This is a thick, high-fat milk product. I used Prairie Farms Dairy Heavy Whipping Cream.
Caramel Sauce: This is a sweetener made with sugar, salt, vanilla, butter, and cream. I used Torani Puremade Caramel Sauce.
Coffee & Cocoa Bitters: This is a food product made with coffee beans, cocoa, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Crude Bitters & Sodas “Big Bear” Coffee & Cocoa Bitters.
Coffee Beans: This is the a seed of the Coffea plant.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Bar Mat: This is a rubber or silicone mat that’s placed on the bar surface to catch spills, provide grip for glasses and tools, and keep the workspace clean and organized. I used the Highball & Chaser 18×12 Bar Mat.
Jigger: This is a small, double-sided measuring tool that’s used to accurately portion spirits and mixers, typically with one side measuring 1 oz and the other 1.5 or 2 oz. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is a two-piece cocktail shaker consisting of a metal tin and a glass or metal mixing glass that’s used for shaking and blending ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is a metal strainer with a spring around its edge that’s used to filter out ice and solids when pouring the cocktail into a glass. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Tweezers: These are a precision tool that’s used for placing delicate garnishes. I used one from the Stainless Steel Food Tweezers Set.
Coupe Glass: This is a stemmed, shallow, wide-bowled glass that’s designed to enhance aroma and presentation. I used the Cocktail Kingdom Leopold Coupe Glass.
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Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Light brown color
• Aroma: Coffee and rum spices
• Taste: Creamy coffee and cocoa flavor rounded out by funky rum notes
• Finish: Pumpkin, caramel, and more strong rum
Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kendall’s Take: “If you’re looking for the most perfectly balanced fall or Christmas coffee cocktail, this is it! I don’t usually enjoy the taste of coffee anything because I find it too bitter, but it’s so muted in the Mocha Spiced Rum Russian that I thought it was incredibly sippable. Using rum instead of vodka in the Russian was also a nice change; you can definitely tell it’s there thanks to the blackstrap rum’s funkiness. Definitely whip this version up so you can see for yourself!”
Recipe
Mocha Spiced Rum Russian
The Mocha Spiced Rum Russian is a Christmas cocktail that was created by Alex Sukopp, former bartender of Sips From Scripts, for a holiday sampling event. The recipe is a variation of the classic White Russian that calls for Tattersall Distilling Blackstrap Rum, a funky aged spirit with a strong flavor profile. The rum is then mellowed out with a homemade pumpkin spice syrup, coffee liqueur, cocoa, and cream, and it has a rich caramel and pumpkin pie spice rim.
Ingredients
Method
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Add blackstrap rum, dark rum, pumpkin spice syrup, coffee liqueur, heavy cream, caramel sauce, coffee & cocoa bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
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Shake for 10-20 seconds.
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Strain into a cocktail glass.
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Garnish with coffee beans.
