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christmas white russian recipe

A Christmas White Russian is a fun, festive holiday drink inspired by the classic three-ingredient cocktail.

Looking for other Christmas cocktails? Sip on a Cranberry Bourbon Smash, Christmas Moscow Mule, Pumpkin Spice White Russian, Hot Toddy, Gingerbread Martini, Peppermint Chocolate Martini or Candy Cane Martini!

pouring eggnog into a christmas white russian cocktail

I know it sounds cliché, but Christmas is my favorite time of year.

I love everything about the holiday season: the lights, the music, the movies, the festive parties, the traditions. (In fact, I’m listening to Christmas music as I write this.) 

To me, there’s this unexplained extra special feeling of joy just sort of floating in the air the entire month of December.

My Christmas season celebrations are deeply steeped in tradition: putting our Christmas tree up the weekend after Thanksgiving (although this has changed in a post 2020 world and our house now gets decorated mid-November so we can enjoy it longer, going to an annual performance of The Nutcracker, rolling and cutting out dozens of Grandma Vera’s sugar cookies, wrapping Christmas presents, cozying up on the couch in front of the fire to watch our favorite holiday movies (we’ve recently been into the cheesy Christmas movies on Netflix.)

And while I love my annual holiday traditions, I also love creating new festive memories every holiday season.

We’ve been in our house for three years now and I love we decking the halls…from wrapping multi-colored lights around our outdoor columns and a homemade wreath on the front door, to garlands galore in the living room and kitchen windows, and strategic Santa placements throughout our house.

One of my favorite corners of our new home is the wood-burning fireplace in our basement; there’s something peaceful (and also rewarding) about sitting in front of the fire, flanked by our pup Bodie and a few cats, relaxing with AJ while the logs sizzle, crackle and pop.

The fireplace and mantle got the VIP Christmas decorating treatment this year, complete with custom stockings, a lighted garland and greenery, and a homemade wooden toboggan handcrafted by my father-in-law.

It’s really become a place I love to unwind, and seeing it so festively decorated for the season gives me a lot of joy!

Do you know what makes relaxing in front of our festive fireplace even more enjoyable? A holiday cocktail of course!

two rocks glasses with christmas white russian cocktails made with eggnog

What is in a White Russian cocktail?

Creamy white russian cocktails are  relatively easy and simple drinks to make and go down smoothly, but can be a little bit stronger than they seem.

You may be familiar with the cocktail from a popular cult comedy classic because it’s the Dude’s go-to drink.

The classic three-ingredient cocktail featuring vodka, coffee liqueur and cream.

The history of the cocktail, and its name, is not definitive, but something that everyone seems to agree on is that the Russian part of the cocktail’s name comes from the simple fact that a White Russian contains vodka.

And of course we can’t mention the history of the White Russian without mention of the Coen brothers’ cult comedy classic, The Big Lebowski, where it is heavily featured as The Dude’s favorite drink.

I love sipping on the cream-based cocktail in colder months, which is why I thought it would be the perfect inspiration for a Christmas or holiday season drink.

two eggnog white russian cocktails in front of a christmas tree with multi colored lights

Ingredients for a White Russian Christmas Recipe

 

To make your White Russian festive and even more seasonally appropriate, swap a seasonal favorite, eggnog, for the heavy cream in the classic white russian cocktail recipe.

To make one cocktail, you’ll need:

  • 2-3 ounces eggnog
  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce coffee liqueur
  • Ice cubes
  • Nutmeg to garnish
  • Cinnamon sticks, to garnish

 

How do I make a Christmas White Russian?

You can make this eggnog cocktail shaken or stirred.

To start, pour two to three ounces of eggnog into a cocktail glass or cocktail shaker, depending on how strong you like your cocktails.

Add two ounces of vodka, one ounce of coffee liqueur, and that’s it!

If you’re making your White Russian in a cocktail glass, add some ice and give it a stir, and if you went the shaker route, give it a good shake and then pour over ice.

Sprinkle with a little nutmeg, and enjoy, preferably next to a cozy fire if you can.

a blue christmas ornament with glitter with eggnog white russian cocktails in the background

Can I batch this white russian recipe to make it for a crowd? 

Yes!

This cocktail can easily be batched to make it for a big group, whether you’re hosting holiday parties, Secret Santa gift exchange, or have a big, cocktail loving family staying with you for a few days.

In order to make a big batch of Christmas White Russians, you just have to increase the ingredients, and combine them in something like a large pitcher or a punch bowl, rather than making individual cocktails to order.

To make six cocktails, you can combine 1 ½ cups vodka, ½ cup coffee liqueur and 2 to 2 ½ cups of eggnog in a pitcher or a punch bowl.

two eggnog white russian cocktails in front of a christmas tree with multi colored lights

What other holiday flavors would be good in a White Russian Christmas Recipe?

While eggnog is my favorite Christmas drink, you could use other seasonal flavors to create a Christmas-inspired White Russian drink. If going this route, make sure you add in the heavy cream that is in the basic White Russian recipe and then make a simple syrup featuring one of these popular seasonal flavors:

Peppermint sticks or candy canes (or even peppermint schnapps)

Sugar Cookie

Gingerbread

Pumpkin spice

Christmas spice (you could make a simple syrup with spices like nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon)

Chocolate (it’s giving me hot cocoa energy)

What kind of eggnog Should I Use to Make an Eggnog White Russian?

When I’ve had the time, I’ve tried my hand at homemade eggnog in the past…and let’s just say it’s much easier to buy from the store.

But not all store-bought nogs are created equal, and coming from someone who is squarely in the pro nog camp (both AJ and I love its smooth, creamy texture and distinctive Christmas-y taste) we have tried our fair share of store-bought holiday beverages and finally found our favorite: Bolthouse Farms Holiday Nog.

bolthouse farms holiday nog bottle used to make a christmas white russian

Not only do we love the texture and taste, we love that we get the creamy taste of traditional eggnog without extra calories and fat.

There’s even a pinch of Bolthouse Farms signature carrot juice in their Holiday Nog recipe as an extra secret ingredient!

I partnered with Bolthouse Farms to create this content and I am receiving compensation for this post.

All opinions and content are my own. Thank you for supporting brands and businesses that support Off the Eaten Path!

pouring eggnog into a christmas white russian cocktail

christmas white russian

Yield: 1 cocktail
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

A Christmas White Russian is a fun, festive holiday drink inspired by the classic three-ingredient cocktail.

Ingredients

  • 2-3 ounces eggnog
  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 1 ounce coffee liqueur
  • Nutmeg to garnish
  • Cinnamon sticks to garnish

Instructions

    1.    Place ice in a low cocktail glass or rocks glass.

    2.    Pour eggnog, vodka and coffee liqueur over ice.

    3.    Stir to combine.

    4.    Garnish with a sprinkle of nutmeg.



Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 247Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 4mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 0g

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4 Comments

  1. I think we have something in common here. This sounds like a drink I also would LOVE! I’m definitely going to give this one a try. And with this NOG option it is darn near a healthy choice 😊 thanks to “Nels” for forwarding this link to me. Merry Christmas to you. 🎄

    1. I think you would LOVE it! Can’t wait to hear what you think. I hear we also have a love of Moscow Mules in common too!

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