Pumpkin Spice Russian

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Cocktail History

The Pumpkin Spice Russian is an autumn cocktail that was created by Emma Stokes and was first published in her book Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail. It’s a seasonal variation of the White Russian that is made with vodka, coffee liqueur, and milk, all of which are taken up a notch by adding pumpkin spice syrup and a caramel sauce rim.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Vodka: This is a spirit made with grains, vegetables or fruits, and alcohol. We used Russian Standard Gold Vodka because it’s smooth, easy to sip, and fairly inexpensive without compromising the quality. For a mocktail version of this drink, try STRYKK Not V*dka in place of the vodka.

Coffee Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with coffee, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Mr. Black Spirits Cold Brew Coffee Liqueur because it has a bold coffee flavor with very little sweetness. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Coffee Original Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the coffee liqueur.

Milk: This is a liquid rich in calcium and protein that is produced by mammals. We used Prairie Farm Vitamin D Whole Milk. For a dairy-free version of this drink, try oat milk in place of the milk.

Caramel Sauce: This is a sweetener made with sugar, salt, vanilla, butter, and cream. We used Torani Puremade Caramel Sauce because it’s flavorful but has a thinner texture.

Pumpkin Spice Syrup: This is a sweetener made with pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, brown sugar, white sugar, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Spice: This is a spice blend made with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. We used Simply Organic Pumpkin Pie Spice.

Cinnamon Stick: This is a dried spice that has been rolled into a stick. We used cinnamon sticks from the bulk section at our local grocery store.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. We used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-14.

Tasting Notes

The Pumpkin Spice Russian features a mixture of pumpkin spice and coffee aromas, begins with an immediate hit of pumpkin and caramel from the rim blended with the sweetened flavors of coffee and pumpkin in the mouth, and goes down with a lasting coffee note accented by caramel and spices.

Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: We aren’t kidding when we say this one is rich! Neither of us is typically keen on the type of drink with fancy rims and candy-sweet ingredients, but we’d be lying if we said we didn’t finish ours pretty quickly. Messy rim and all, it’s worth making one or two at your holiday get-togethers this year.

Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“One word—yum! Although a little heavy on the coffee flavor for my taste, this drink is still a fabulous (and very decadent) recipe that I would absolutely request again. Normally I’m not big on pumpkin spice, but it is really tasty when paired with the caramel sauce rim. Try this instead of pumpkin pie for the perfect autumn indulgence!”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm Up Winter by Emma Stokes.

This post contains affiliate links, meaning we make a small commission each time you purchase a product using our links. Product images sourced from Amazon Product Advertising API. Amazon affiliate links last updated on 2024-10-14.