White Russian (cocktail) Russian" in the sense of a cocktail as appearing in California's "Oakland Tribune" on November 21, 1965. It was placed in the newspaper as an insert: "White Russian. 1 oz. each Southern, vodka, cream", with "Southern" referring to Coffee Southern, a short-lived brand of coffee liqueur by Southern Comfort. Though long regarded as a boring and unsophisticated drink, the White Russian saw a surge in popularity after the 1998 release of the film "The Big Lebowski", throughout which it appears as the protagonist's beverage of choice. As with all cocktails, various modes of preparation exist, varying according to the recipes
Prawn cocktail, steak and Black Forest gateau meal had a pleasantly sophisticated ring: "cocktail", the use of prawns which was not common, "steak garni" rather just steak, and "Black Forest gâteau" rather than just cake; all slightly foreign but easy enough to learn for next time, and allowing the diner to feel that they were enjoying a "continental" (European) eating experience. The meal eventually became unfashionable as British dining tastes became more sophisticated from the 1980s onwards and the Gallup survey conducted by the trade magazine "Caterer and Hotelkeeper" in 1989 confirmed that Black Forest gâteau had suddenly become less popular. Simon Hopkinson and Lindsey Bareham coined