Rum White Russian
Give The Dude’s go-to cocktail a classy upgrade with my Rum White Russian made with bay leaf-infused cream and spiced fig simple syrup. It’s sweet without being cloying, perfectly boozy, and elegant enough for any winter celebration. In short, this is the best White Russian recipe I’ve ever tried!
Servings: 1 Cocktail
Calories: 304kcal
Ingredients
Infused Bay Leaf Cream
- ½ cup Heavy Cream or a non-dairy alternative
- 2 Bay Leaves
Spiced Fig Simple Syrup
- ½ cup Water
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
- ¼ cup Dried figs quartered
- 2 Cinnamon Sticks
- ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg grated
White Russian
- 2 oz Rum
- 1 oz Spiced Fig Simple Syrup
- 1 oz Infused Bay Leaf Cream
- Bay leaf Fresh Fig, and grated nutmeg as garnish
Instructions
Infused Bay Leaf Cream
- Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat and add bay leaves to the hot cream. Stir to coat bay leaves in cream and leave to infuse for 30 minutes before removing the bay leaves.½ cup Heavy Cream, 2 Bay Leaves
Spiced Fig Simple Syrup
- Pour water and sugar into a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add quartered figs, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg and bring simple syrup to a slight boil. Remove from heat and let ingredients infuse for 30 minutes before removing figs and cinnamon sticks from the syrup.½ cup Water, ½ cup Granulated Sugar, ¼ cup Dried figs, 2 Cinnamon Sticks, ¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
White Russian
- Add rum and Fig Simple Syrup to cocktail glass with ice and stir to combine. Pour Bay leaf cream on top, then add a fresh fig, bay leaf, and grated nutmeg on top to garnish before enjoying.2 oz Rum, 1 oz Spiced Fig Simple Syrup, 1 oz Infused Bay Leaf Cream, Bay leaf
Video
Notes
Optional Variations
While I love my modern interpretation of The Big Lebowski Drink, there are plenty of other ways to customize it to your liking. Here are some ideas to get your creative wheels turning:
- Hot White Russian - For this version, don’t bother cooling the syrup or the cream. Serve it all warm in a mug for a cozy beverage to wrap your chilly hands around.
- Frozen White Russian - You have a few options here: either swap in vanilla ice cream for the cream (which will result in a sweeter cocktail), or blend the cocktail with ice until frosty and pourable. Alternatively, freeze the bay leaf cream and spiced fig syrup into ice cubes and blend with rum to ensure your frozen drink doesn’t get too diluted.
- Skinny White Russian with Milk - Also known as an “Anna Kournikova,” this variation swaps in lower-fat milk for the cream. Feel free to use any that you enjoy (e.g. skim, 1%, 2%, whole, or non-dairy), but note that the resulting cocktail won’t be quite as viscous.
- Dairy-Free White Russian - Make this a vegan-friendly cocktail by swapping in the plant-based creamer of your choice. You’re also welcome to use plant-based milk (e.g. an almond milk White Russian) if you prefer a lighter cocktail. Alternatively, make yourself a Rum Black Russian and omit the cream or milk entirely.
- Chocolate White Russian - Also known as a “Dirty White Russian,” this version has you swap in chocolate milk (regular or non-dairy) for the cream.
- Caramel White Russian - Add a drizzle of caramel sauce over the top for an extra-rich dessert-meets-cocktail.
Nutrition
Calories: 304kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 25mg | Potassium: 46mg | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 417IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
