The Black Russian cocktail was reportedly created in Brussels in 1949.
The drink is a simple combination of vodka and coffee liqueur, usually served over ice. Its dark color gives the cocktail its name, while the coffee liqueur adds sweetness and roasted flavor to the relatively neutral vodka base.
The creation is commonly credited to bartender Gustave Tops, who is said to have made it at the Hotel Metropole in Brussels for Perle Mesta, the United States ambassador to Luxembourg. The drink’s name reflects the vodka association with Russia and its dark appearance, not the use of any Russian coffee ingredient.
The Black Russian is often confused with the White Russian. The White Russian adds cream or milk to the same basic vodka-and-coffee-liqueur combination. Despite the name, the Black Russian does not traditionally contain cream.