If the White Russian is your cozy winter blanket, the Red Russian is that friend who drags you out of bed and into a karaoke bar on a Tuesday night. No cream, no coffee liqueur-just vodka and cherry liqueur doing what they do best: causing chaos.
This drink is shockingly simple (just two ingredients!), surprisingly tasty, and kind of like a grown-up cherry Jolly Rancher-but with a much stronger kick. Whether you're out of Kahlúa or just craving something fruity that hits fast, this one's for you.
Fair warning: it will stain your soul and your shirt if you're not careful.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Only 2 Ingredients: No shaking, no juicing, no drama.
- Great for Cherry Lovers: This is basically a cocktail with a fruit-forward attitude problem.
- Zero Dairy: Unlike its cousin the White Russian, this one's friendly to your lactose-intolerant friends.
What is a Red Russian?
The common thread whether you are drinking a Black Russian, a White Russian, or a Red Russian, is of course vodka. All three are vodka-based cocktails. Vodka is a spirit that originated in Russia and Poland.
Now, just because you've probably heard of a Black Russian or White Russian doesn't mean that those are the only variations.
A Blind Russian- Vodka, Coffee Liqueur, and Irish Cream. Add Cream instead and suddenly you have the more familiar Mudslide.
California Russian- Vodka is served with a shot of Triple Sec and orange.
Peri's Black Russian- Vanilla Vodka served with Coke. Yes, it's basically an alcohol-based Vanilla Coke.
Brown Russian- Ginger ale and vodka.
As far as the origins of the Red Russian are unclear. But I don't think it would be much of a stretch to assume why "red" and "Russian" were paired together. Perhaps the fruitiness might be a bar joke somewhere. But the history of this drink seems lost.
How do I make this?
Traditionally speaking, this is an easy cocktail to remember as it is a 1:1 ratio of vodka to either cherry liqueur or strawberry liqueur (or cordial which by the way is the exact same thing). This drink can be shaken or poured into a glass filled with ice.
What If I don't have cherry or strawberry liqueur?
That's fine because I have a few options for you! Cranberry juice is a good substitute or you can make your own Liqueur. It's not as intimidating as it sounds either. With a few basic ingredients and a bit of time, you can have a liqueur of just about any flavor you can dream up.
How to make your own cherry or strawberry liqueur
So here is the bonus part of this recipe. This is two recipes in one. Cherry and Strawberry Liqueur are hard to find, or perhaps you won't buy them because you know how infrequently you'll use it. And seriously, there isn't much worse than spending $20 a bottle that is just going to sit there.
Have no fear. With a few mason jars or other air-tight containers, you'll be on your way.
Step 1- Sterilize a mason jar.
Step 2- Add fruit and cover with vodka or other spirit such as whiskey, rum, etc. How high should the proof of the alcohol be? High enough so you'd be willing to drink it. I went with what I have at 80 proof. I also used as many strawberries as I could fit from a frozen bag of Trader Joe's Organic Strawberries.
Step 3- You'll notice a change in 24 hours, it's better to wait at least a week, if not 2 or 3. I did this same experiment with some Amarena Cherries.
Step 4- Per E.U. guidelines, a liqueur becomes a liqueur when it contains at least 10% sugar, 15% ABV and contains only natural flavorings. Use the simple syrup to shift this from flavored vodka to liqueur. Seriously, that's the only difference. Many liqueurs contain more than 10% sugar, so taste and see what it is you like. Can it be more than 10%? Absolutely. It's all about making you the drink, YOU will enjoy. Taste and see if you like what you have. I oftentimes add quite a bit more. In fact, I often go 50/50 between simple syrup and infused vodka. My taste buds like sweet.
Creative Serving Suggestions
- Serve with chocolate-covered cherries for a decadent treat.
- Add a splash of cola for a cherry cola vibe with grown-up benefits.
- Make a Red Russian float-yes, that's cherry vodka + cherry liqueur + a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Dangerous, but worth it.
Tips & Tricks
- Make it boozier: Use a 2:1 ratio of vodka to cherry liqueur for a stiffer sip.
- Go lighter: Add club soda for a cherry spritz situation.
- Use fancy ice: Clear cubes or spheres make it look extra bougie.
- Shaken or Stirred: This can be shaken, poured, or even stirred.
Watch me make this (30 Seconds)
Directions
Step 1- Fill the glass with good quality ice.
Step 2- Pour cherry or strawberry liqueur into a glass with an equal amount of vodka.
Step 3- Garnish with cherries, strawberries or other fruit and enjoy! And yes, apples do a great job of holding up other garnishes.
Final Thoughts
The Red Russian isn't here to babysit your palate. It's bold, it's boozy, and it's absurdly easy. If you're a cherry lover or someone who's run out of cream but not out of thirst-this cocktail has your name written all over it (probably in red lipstick).
Shake up your usual cocktail routine with something this simple and satisfying. Or don't shake-just pour and sip like the cocktail rebel you are.
Other Cocktails You Might Enjoy
Red Russian
Ingredients
- ice
- 2 ounces vodka
- 2 ounces cherry liqueur can also use strawberry liqueur
Instructions
- Add ice to glass
- Pour 2 ounces of vodka and 2 ounces of cherry liqueur.
- Garnish and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- This can be shaken or poured, but always use good quality ice when making a cocktail
- If you have 24 hours, you can make any flavor liqueur that your bar at home might be missing.
- If you make your own liqueur, it can be as sweet as you like.
- If you are using certain store bought liqueurs, your drink might end up being clear instead. Thats ok too. Just not as pretty.
Catherine of VegCharlotte says
Looks wonderful! But what is a "simple syrup," please?
becomebetty says
Equal parts sugar and water, heated until sugar crystals are no longer visible :). Super easy to do. No reason to ever buy it in the store. The last place I saw it and it was $5 for a small bottle.
Robin Zeffiro says
Ooh, I am going to try this to see if it will be a fun drink for when some friends come to visit to see the cherry blossoms in a few weeks!
I plan to swap the simple syrup for torani vanilla syrup to cut most of the sugar.
Stupid question, while the vodka and berries are doing their thing in jar, do you just put them in fridge and ignore or do you stir them or roll.jar every now and then?
Also have you tried the berries after? Do they taste good? Or do you just use fresh berries once you are ready to make a drink?
Thanks!!!
becomebetty says
Hey Robin! I left mine at room temperature. I took a master class in Cordial making recently. So, in class we discussed storage. The instructor told us "Everything lives in water, but nothing lives in alcohol." In other words, alcohol is both anti-septic and a preservative at the same time. I gave my jar a good shake from time to time (and a sniff, possibly a sip here and there too). Now, I did this twice. One set of photos didn't make the blog. I used Amarena cherries the first time around. Problem was (and you can see a few of them near the finished drink) is that they are nearly black. So, I didn't show that photo because I couldn't tell what it was. Therefore, it becomes harder to explain to readers if they can't see it either. I gave the berries a shake every day. Just to keep things moving. It does get better with time.
Now, as far as tasting the berries here we go: the strawberries were mush. I did take a bite, but the texture was not my thing (kinda like defrosted frozen strawberries). They also were pretty flavorless too, as the alcohol had robbed them of their flavor. However, the cherries are a different ball game. They are still sound in texture and are basically boozy cherries. They are a stone fruit so they tend to hold up better as the skin is thicker and they aren't as fragile as strawberries.
So if you let everything sit in vodka (or other spirit)- you'll have flavored vodka. It will still have the classic burn of alcohol here. Let it go a bit longer to infuse a bit further and add in a sugar syrup, you are suddenly having cordial. And you control the sweetness.
Now, assuming you aren't using the sugar free Torani, that's actually equal parts sugar and water and a bit of vanilla extract, heated until the sugar crystals dissolve. And then it's cooled for packaging. The store bought stuff has citric acid as a preservative.
I hope that helps and please let me know if you have any questions what so ever. I'm here to help.
Anila says
Try this with Chambord (raspberry liqueur) instead. So delicious and not super sweet.
becomebetty says
Thanks so much for sharing!
Anila says
Try this with Chambord (raspberry liqueur) and add a splash of cream - very delicious and smooth but not too sweet.
becomebetty says
Great suggestion! Thanks for sharing!