Mocha Spiced Rum Russian

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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.

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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.

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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!"

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Recipe