Moscvatini

I didn't know that this Martini variation even existed. As far as Martini's go, it's not overly extravagant, just sweet and herbal. But I have to say that if you haven't had a black olive with kummel, you are missing out. It is the sweet honey and herbal flavors with the dark scent of black olive and vodka. Don't pass up the chance to make this especially dank and very Russian cocktail.

• 1 1/2 oz. vodka (Smirnoff #57 used)
• 1 oz. kummel (homemade used)
• black olive

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with the black olive. 

Boyar

For Eastern European feudal societies the Boyar was the highest ranking aristocrat. This cocktail features some of the spirits that these guys used to put back with abandon. Vodka--a strong one, too-- is a standard for Eastern European heavy drinking. It's better if the vodka is very clean tasting, or no taste at all, so that it is almost creamy. A well-filtered Smirnoff does the trick for me.

Kummel is a celebratory flavored spirit that is savory and sweetened with honey. Often drunk at Christmas parties, Kummel's caraway, dill, and any number of random spices make it the defining characteristic of this cocktial.

I added cocktail onions in this recipe because their vinegar zing goes along with the other ingredients, and you can eat them, as they are commonly enjoyed with vodka toasts.

• 2 oz. vodka (Smirnoff #57 used)
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth (Carpano dry used)
• 1/4 oz. kummel (homemade used
• cocktail onions (optional)

Combine liquid ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with onions of preferred. 

The Vulgar Boatman

I kind of like when cocktail names get corrupted and a new idea springs forth. It starts with a guest mis-hearing the name of the drink (the Harvey Wallbanger) and asking for it wrong the rest of the night No one corrects them and suddenly regulars are flocking to try this new cocktail (The Wally Harvbanger.)

This cocktail is a little more Eurocentric than the Volga Boatman, it's originator. There's German kirschwasser, Swedish cherry liqueur and Polish vodka, Italian vermouth, as well as orange bitters. This drink is richer than the Volga Boatman, and much less juicy. Orange his hinted at with the bitters, not the juice itself.

• 1 1/2 oz. vodka (Belvedere used)
• 3/4 oz. cherry liqueur (Cherry Herring used)
• 1/4 oz. dry vermouth (Antica dry used)
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice 
• 1/4 tsp. kirsch (Kammer kirsch used)
• dash of orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass 

Count Stroganoff

I've made this drink before. It has that unmistakable taste of lemon juice sweetened by creme de cacao. But the last time the drink had more lemon juice and possibly a gin base. This cocktail makes a lot of sense, it tastes classic, if not a bit too sweet, but there's nothing unplesent here. And that I think is the point of Count Stroganoff, a classic Russian-themed cocktail named after the famous Russian historian, art collector and philanthropist (Sergei Gregoryevich--I think) and owner of the Stroganov palace.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. creme de cacao
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Black Maria

Black Maria is a Caribbean Black Russian made with rum, coffee liqueur and real coffee. As such it feels a little more special than the garden variety Black Russian.

Cruzan white rum is labeled "aged rum" only as if to point out that their rum has a respectable aged flavor. Use it instead of Bacardi Superior if you want to be able to distinguish between the coffee drink with vodka and the one made with rum.

• 2 oz. white rum (Cruzan used)
• 2 oz. coffee liqueur (homemade used)
• 4 oz. cold black coffee
• 1 tsp. sugar

Combine all ingredients in a brandy snifter. Add cracked ice. 

Black Russian

The Black Russian is a classic of the 1950s, when Kahlua first hit the scene. It's more famous brother, the White Russian, came along at the same time, at the height of the red scare. It was seen as a way to drink more Kahlua by spacing the sugary coffee liqueur out with neutral spirits. It still caused plenty of headaches the next day, but you still had half a bottle of Kahlua left. And it tastes pretty good without the cream of the White Russian, so there's still a strong demand for this drink.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. Kahlua

 Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and pour into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. 

Russian Bear

Another Russian Dessert drink, this one with dark creme de cacao where coffee liqueur is often found. It's creamy and sweet and stronger than it looks, so don't underestimate the bear.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. dark creme de cacao
• 1/2 oz. half and half

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Russian Coffee

This is a blended cocktail that's for dessert. Apparently there was a time that people associated vodka and Russian people with sexiness and desserts--not at all kidding, either. Vodka became quite the dessert spirit in the 90s and this is one of the results. Coffee liqueur makes this drink like a White Russian smoothie.

• 1 oz. vodka
• 2 oz. coffee liqueur (homemade coffee liqueur used)
• 1 1/2 oz. half-and-half

Combine all ingredients in a blender with ice. Blend until slushy and pour into a snifter or wine goblet.

Russian Rose

Another Russian cocktail. I might even want to re-name it the Russian Ros-e because of the pink color and the wine-like flavor.

Rather than buy strawberry vodka, I made an infusion with fresh strawberries. These berries turned white and leached their color into the vodka. They also absorbed vodka and became potent snacks.

This is the first drink I'm experimenting with Trader Joe's dry vermouth. It lacks character, but that's ok for these purposes. I'm finding that you can skimp on your dry vermouths, but for sweet vermouth, get Italian or good French ones.

• 3 oz. strawberry infused vodka
• 1/2 oz. dry vermouth
• dash grenadine
• dash orange bitters (Hella used)

Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice. Stir and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Russian Quaalude

Quaaludes or "ludes" were muscle relaxant drugs used in the 60s and 70s in dance clubs. They helped many people trip out to lights and sounds at glam rock shows. This is a similarly dated drink, as the name suggests. The idea is that a lot of vodka and Irish cream liquor and hazlenut liqueur will mess with your head and totally relax you.

This cocktail totally belongs in the category of Dark Ages cocktails of the 70s when a panty dropper like this, easy to drink and very addictive, was intended to compete with hard drugs of the time. It still has its appeal. I'm happy to report it isn't as filling as a half-and-half drink or a flip. It really is strong, and that's the point.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. frangelico
• 1 oz. Irish Cream liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled Old Fashioned glass. 

Kretchma Cocktail

Not a real Russian drink, a spoof drink made after a spoof Russian song. The Kretchma, according to the song, "is where you catch Ma, drinking vodka every night."

Not a bad idea for a drink, if it is a little sweet. The slightly red color from the grenadine is there I guess to distinguish it from the Ninotchka.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 1/2 oz. creme de cacao
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 2 dashes grenadine

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

White Russian

"Careful, man. There's a beverage here!" So says the Dude from The Big Lebowski. No finer words have been said regarding this dessert cocktail. And if you are the Dude, you want it at all times of the day.

Like a milkshake with coffee, you know why this drink exists. It's surprisingly addictive, Dude!

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. heavy cream
• 1 oz. coffee liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and pour into an Old Fashioned glass.

Kremlin Cocktial

Another Russian-themed drink with creme de cacao. This really shows the limited thinking people once had about mixing with vodka and Soviet Russia in general. I think the idea was that the drink would be for dessert (vodka being easy to sweeten and enjoy with cream) and that the color would look like snow. Stolichnaya is used here simply for authenticity as a real Russian vodka.

This was pretty good as far as old-school dessert drinks go. I'm really finding ways to enjoy creme de cacao because of this Russian series of drinks.

• 2 oz. vodka (Stolichnaya used)
• 1 1/2 oz. creme de cacao
• 1 1/2 oz. half and half

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Moscow Mule

This isn't a drink invented in Russia, but that's true of most Russian-themed cocktails. Rather it is a marketing tool for Smirnoff back in the 1950s. Back then no one drank vodka in the U.S. The newly re-settled company came up with this great ploy to have a great drink served in a noticeable mug, a copper Mule Mug so that everyone knew you were having a vodka drink.

It's funny to think there was a time when drinking vodka made you seem exotic or an individual among many who drank only beer or whiskey. This simple recipe still stands and still requires a copper mug.

• 2 oz. vodka (Sobieski used)
• 1 tbsp. lime juice
• ginger beer
• lime wedge

Pour vodka and lime juice in a Mule Mug full of ice. Top with ginger beer, stir gently, and garnish with a lime wedge.

Russian Cocktail

Like the Ninotchka, the Russian Cocktail is a vodka and creme de cacao drink. I'm finding that this combination is very pleasing (especially when it comes to the clarity of the drink) if not a little sugary. Gin, like Vigilant, adds spicy flavors that make drinking it more interesting.

• 2 oz. vodka (Stolichnaya used)
• 1 1/2 oz. creme de cacao
• 1 1/2 oz. gin (Vigilant used)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Ninotchka

Ninotchka comes from the Latin/ Hebrew word for "little girl," and is applied in Russian as "great-granddaughter." The name itself and the use of vodka puts it in what I'm styling the "Family" category of sweet cocktails like the Godmother and Godchild. It's pretty good for all that, and as a Russian drink, I thought it appropriate to use Stolichnaya vodka.

• 2 oz. vodka (Stolichnaya used)
• 1 oz. creme de cacao
• 1/2 oz. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Tovarisch

I feel like I've had this cocktail before. It's not the first time that lime juice and Jagermeister have been used together and the taste is strikingly familiar. But I've never had both lime and Jagermeister in such large proportions.

I was steeling myself for an awful experience, and this is coming from someone who actually likes Jager a little. It is more that an ounce of lime juice is often super tart and there's no added sugar in this cocktail to calm that down. It relies solely on the Jager. Turns out that it all works much better than I thought.

The other puzzling thing about this drink is the name. It is Russian for "comrade" and suggests a friendly relationship between Russin vodka and German Jagermeister. This is a lot like the Allies (Jager and English gin) cocktail and equally puzzling because Russians and Germans were seldom allies (likewise with Russians and Brits) so I'm not sure what that says. Offhandedly, there was a museum sailing ship in Germany named Tovarisch, so that's something, I guess.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 1/2 oz. Jagermeister
• 1 oz. lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

Volga Boatman

This drink is named after a traditional Russian song that's become more of an anthem. Vodka (Russian or at least formerly Russian, i.e. Smirnoff) should be used if only to fit the theme. And kirschwasser is not unfitting because fun fruit brandies are all a part of Eastern European hard drinking culture. The nice thing about this drink is that it is juicy and strong. Lots of cherry flavors make the orange juice taste like candy, and the cherry garnish is more than just suggestive.

I used fresh squeezed orange juice for this cocktail, which means it was more clear but with a lot of juicy pulp. I find store bought O.J. tastes leveled-down where you don't get sharp shifts between sweetness and tartness from beginning to the end of the sip. So it's just less interesting all around, which isn't cool.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. kirschwasser
• 2 oz. fresh squeezed orange juice
• maraschino cherry

Combine all liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with maraschino cherry.

Cossack

Another drink for my Russian readers: this one named after the historic irregular cavalry forces that are a symbol of Russian strength. This was a strong drink too. I was looking for a photo of Vladimir Putin or a copy of Tolstoy's novel by the same name, but it turns out that all of my copies of these are digital and I had a drink in my hand that I really wanted to try while it was cold.

Less sour than the Woman Warrior, the Cossack is sophisticated. It calls for Cognac, which lends body and tamps down the grittiness that lime juice often produces.

• 2 oz. vodka
• 1 oz. cognac
• 1 oz. lime juice
• 1/2 tsp. simple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. 

St. Petersburg

This is a drink for all of my Russian readers out there. A simple and tasty vodka rocks drink for a social gathering, St. Petersburg is a vodka lover's cocktail. Orange bitters give the liquid flavor without drowning out the alcoholic bite that you enjoy from vodka. Then the orange slice provides fruity scent of juice and peel with every sip.

• 3 oz. vodka
• 1/2 tsp. orange bitters
• orange slice

Combine liquid ingredients in an Old Fashioned glass with ice and stir until chilled. Garnish with orange slice.