Celebrate the festive season with a peppermint-infused twist on the beloved classic cocktail, the Peppermint White Russian. This holiday cocktail combines the velvety smoothness of a traditional White Russian with the refreshing essence of candy canes and will have you toasting to winter cheer.
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Peppermint White Russian recipe
Peppermint is a staple of the holiday season. It all starts with the peppermint mocha, after all.
If you’re a fan of peppermint in your coffee, you will love this delicious White Russian recipe. Instead of vodka, you’ll use peppermint schnapps, mint vodka or crème de menthe liqueur to yield a tasty, creamy cocktail with loads of refreshing mint.
Add a layer of crushed candy canes and a peppermint swizzle stick to make the drink even more festive than its flavor.
This simple cocktail is one you will enjoy during the holiday season for years to come. Let’s get right to it!
More peppermint drink recipes: Peppermint Martini • Peppermint Hot Cocoa Bombs • Peppermint Hot Chocolate
Why you’ll love this recipe
If you love peppermint ice cream, you will love this cocktail!
- Creamy with the robust flavors of coffee and dreamy peppermint, the Peppermint White Russian is a twist on a classic cocktail everyone should try.
- You’ll love trying this version with minty freshness!
- This easy cocktail is an easy recipe for beginner home mixologists.
- It’s the perfect cocktail for a holiday party or any gathering this time of year.
What is a White Russian?
The classic White Russian cocktail is made with coffee liqueur, vodka and heavy cream. Creamy and sweet, it can pack quite a punch thanks to the two types of booze.
The White Russian is not actually from Russia. Like the Moscow Mule, which is also vodka-based, the moniker simply comes from the fact that it’s made with vodka, which is Russian. However, vodka is made in many countries these days.
In fact, the Black Russian — the White Russian’s predecessor — was created in the 1940s by a Belgian bartender named Gustave Tops the Hotel Metropole in Brussels. He designed it in honor of the American ambassador to Luxembourg, Perle Mesta.
The drink has faded in and out of popularity and saw a resurgence in the 1990s thanks to the movie The Big Lebowski. The White Russian is the drink of choice of the main character, The Dude, which helped to spark interest in this creamy cocktail.
Tools & glassware
To make this twist on the White Russian, you don’t need a lot of special equipment.
If you want to add the candy cane rim, you’ll need a couple of plates for the maple syrup and the crushed peppermint pieces. Place candy canes or peppermint candies in a zip-top bag and crush them with a meat mallet or wooden spoon.
The ingredients can then be shaken in a cocktail shaker or stirred together in a mixing glass or your drinking glass. Then, you’ll pour it over ice into a rocks glass.
Ingredients
A traditional White Russian contains just three simple ingredients: vodka, coffee liqueur and heavy cream. Oh, and ice! Don’t forget the ice.
But with this Peppermint White Russian, we’re mixing things up a bit. Here’s what you will need:
- Peppermint liqueur: We’re replacing the vodka in the classic White Russian with a minty liqueur. You can use peppermint vodka, peppermint schnapps, or white crème de menthe. (Green crème de menthe will give the drink a green color, but it will taste great.)
- Coffee liqueur: Coffee liqueur is what gives this drink its bold coffee flavor, giving the drink strong mint chocolate vibes. Kahlua and Tia Maria are popular brands, but you can use any brand. Making DIY coffee liqueur is also a delicious way to bring in your favorite coffee beans.
- Cream: Fresh cream is the classic choice for this cocktail, but you can choose what you like. I typically use half-and-half but you can go even thinner if you like with 2% milk or whole milk.
- Simple syrup: You need something strong and sticky to hold up the heavy candy cane pieces on the rim. You can also use honey or maple syrup to rim the glass, but water won’t cut it. (And will dissolve the candy.)
- Crushed candy canes: To crush candy canes or peppermint candies, place them in a zip-top bag and crush them with a meat mallet or wooden spoon. Be careful — the broken pieces can be quite sharp.
- Peppermint stick: Add a candy swizzle stick for another peppermint twist.
Variations and substitutions
Peppermint Pink Russian: Make homemade peppermint vodka with peppermint candies or candy canes. The result is a pink-infused liqueur, and when mixed with cream, it will have a festive pinky red color.
Mint Green Russian: Use green crème de menthe in this recipe and garnish it with a mint sprig. It will look like mint chocolate chip ice cream or a grasshopper cocktail! And it will have major Thin Mint vibes.
Mint Chocolate Russian: Add chocolate milk or a splash of chocolate syrup to make a minty chocolate version of this drink. You could also do white chocolate syrup.
Dairy-free White Russian: You can make it with coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk or oat milk.
Virgin White Russian: For a non-alcoholic version, use zero-proof coffee liqueur, such as Lyre’s Coffee Originale, and zero-proof vodka, such as Strykk Not Vodka. Add ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract into the mix to add the minty flavor. Or, if you’d rather, make a batch of peppermint hot chocolate for your candy cane fix!
How to make a Peppermint White Russian
You can put together this classic drink with a twist in just a few easy steps, but there are two ways you can mix it up: shaking or building.
Shaken
Shaking your White Russian is the best way to mix up your cocktail because it makes your cocktail thick, creamy and frothy as the cream gets slightly whipped.
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine all your ingredients.
- Give it a really good shake.
- Pour it into a rocks glass filled with ice.
Built
The other way is to “build” your cocktail, by pouring each ingredient into the glass. This is great if you don’t have a cocktail shaker or simply don’t feel like getting it out. (To be honest, this is what I do 90% of the time!)
- Into a rocks glass filled with ice, pour in the peppermint liqueur and coffee liqueur.
- Stir them together.
- Then, top it with cream.
Tips & tricks
Here are some tips and tricks for making this recipe:
- Shake the cocktail so it gets a super creamy texture. (Building in the glass is easier though!)
- Heavy cream makes the creamiest cocktail, but half-and-half is a little lighter. Milk is fine, but it won’t thicken up quite the same as the other two.
- Use clear peppermint liqueur to make it look like a classic White Russian. But if you like colorful drinks, green crème de menthe and pink peppermint vodka are fun additions.
What to serve with Peppermint White Russians
If you like minty stuff (and we know you do, because you read this far), this cocktail will pair well with anything peppermint!
You will probably adore these peppermint crinkle cookies or a scoop of peppermint ice cream (or add the ice cream to your drink — you’re welcome!).
Peppermint also goes well with chocolate, so serve these White Russians with hot chocolate cookies or double chocolate chip cookies for a real treat.
FAQ
The Peppermint White Russian gets its signature taste from peppermint vodka, peppermint schnapps or white crème de menthe, infusing the classic White Russian with a cool and refreshing minty twist.
While you can use regular vodka, the distinct peppermint flavor comes from using peppermint-infused vodka or crème de menthe. To fully experience the festive and minty profile of the Peppermint White Russian, it’s recommended to use one of these specialty spirits. However, you can use ¼ teaspoon peppermint extract in a cocktail to add the flavor without investing in a bottle of mint liqueur.
If you don’t have crushed candy canes, you can substitute them with other festive options like crushed peppermint candies or a mixture of sugar and a touch of peppermint extract for a similar sweet and minty rimming effect on your Peppermint White Russian.
More White Russians
- Pumpkin Spice White Russian
- S’mores White Russian
- Birthday Cake White Russian
- Cinnamon White Russian
- Eggnog White Russian
— Did you make this recipe? —
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Peppermint White Russian
ingredients
- 2 ounces peppermint liqueur such as peppermint vodka, peppermint schnapps or white crème de menthe
- 1 ounce coffee liqueur
- 1 ounce heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon simple syrup for rim
- 1 tablespoon crushed candy canes for rim
- 1 peppermint stick for garnish
instructions
Rimming the glass
- Place crushed candy canes on a plate and simple syrup on another plate. Dip the rim of the glass in the syrup. Roll the rim of the glasses in the crushed candy canes to coat the rim.
Shaken
- In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine peppermint liqueur, coffee liqueur, heavy cream. Shake well.
- Pour it into a rocks glass filled with ice.
Built
- Add ice to a rocks glass. Pour in the peppermint liqueur and coffee liqueur. Stir them together.
- Then, top it with cream. Stir once more.
notes
- Shake the cocktail so it gets a super creamy texture. (Building in the glass is easier though!)
- Heavy cream makes the creamiest cocktail, but half-and-half is a little lighter. Milk is fine, but it won’t thicken up quite the same as the other two.
- Use clear peppermint liqueur to make it look like a classic White Russian. But if you like colors, green crème de menthe and pink peppermint vodka are a fun addition.
- Make peppermint hot chocolate for a non-alcoholic option with the same minty flair.
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