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Cocktail History
The Pumpkin Spice White 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 fermented grains or potatoes and water, which are distilled and then filtered to develop a clean, neutral flavor.
Coffee Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with coffee, distilled alcohol, water, and sugar, which are blended and infused to develop a bold, roasted coffee flavor.
Milk: This is a beverage made with the liquid from dairy cows, which is pasteurized and homogenized to ensure safety and consistency.
Caramel Sauce: This is a spread made with caramelized sugar, butter, cream, and water, which are heated and then cooked down into a sauce with a sweet, buttery caramel flavor.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup: This is a sweetener made with pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, brown sugar, white sugar, and water, which are heated and infused into a syrup with a spiced, autumnal flavor.
Pumpkin Pie Spice: This is a spice blend made with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. I used Simply Organic Pumpkin Pie Spice.
Cinnamon Stick: This is a spice made from dried and rolled bark of the cinnamon tree that has a warm, sweet-spicy flavor.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Bar Spoon: This is used to stir ingredients. I used the Barfly Stainless Steel Teardrop Bar Spoon.
Tasting Notes
This cocktail has the following flavor profile:
• Appearance: Brown and cream color
• Aroma: Pumpkin, spices, and coffee
• Taste: Hit of pumpkin and caramel flavor blended with sweet coffee and spices
• Finish: Lingering coffee and baking spice notes
Kendall’s Take: “One word—yum! Although a little heavy on the coffee flavor for my taste, the Pumpkin Spice White Russian is still a fabulous (and very decadent) recipe that I would absolutely make 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 found in the book Have Yourself a Merry Little Cocktail: 80 Cheerful Tipples to Warm Up Winter by Emma Stokes.
Pumpkin Spice White Russian
Description
The Pumpkin Spice White 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.
Ingredients
Method
Pour pumpkin pie spice on a plate, rim a lowball glass with ¼ oz caramel sauce, and roll rim of glass in pumpkin spice until coated.
Fill lowball glass with cracked ice.
Add vodka, coffee liqueur, pumpkin spice syrup, and ½ oz caramel sauce to rimmed lowball glass.
Using a bar spoon, gently stir for 5-7 seconds.
Slowly top with milk.
Garnish with cinnamon stick.
