Black Russian and the blackness of the coffee liqueur. Black Russian The Black Russian is a cocktail of vodka and coffee liqueur. It contains five parts vodka to two parts coffee liqueur, per IBA specified ingredients. Traditionally, the drink is made by pouring the vodka over ice cubes or cracked ice in an old-fashioned glass, followed by the coffee liqueur. This combination first appeared in 1949 and is ascribed to Gustave Tops, a Belgian barman, who created it at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels in honor of Perle Mesta, then United States Ambassador to Luxembourg. The cocktail owes its name to the
The Museum of the American Cocktail showcases a collection of rare spirits and books, including Prohibition-era literature. It features examples of the cocktail's influence on broader historical trends and its place in social history. The museum will feature tastings associated with specific events and seminars, but will not be operated as a bar. The Museum of the American Cocktail annually presents the American Cocktail Awards (the "Olives"), in association with the United States Bartenders Guild. Awards are given to establishments and individuals for individual pre-dinner cocktail recipes and execution, and overall cocktail list development. The Museum of the American Cocktail The Museum of the American Cocktail,