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Cocktail History
The Mocha Spiced Rum Russian is a Sips From Scripts original cocktail that was created for a Christmas sampling event at a local grocery store. The recipe is a variation of the classic White Russian that calls for Tattersall Distilling Blackstrap Rum, a funky aged spirit with a strong flavor profile. The rum is then mellowed out with a homemade pumpkin spice syrup, coffee liqueur, cocoa, and cream, and it has a rich caramel and pumpkin pie spice rim.
Cocktail Ingredients
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:
Blackstrap Rum: This is a heavy rum made with the blackstrap molasses from sugar cane, spices, and alcohol. We used Tattersall Distilling Barreled Blackstrap Rum because it has a rich and smoky vanilla flavor with hints of tobacco and cream. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Dark Cane Spirit in place of the blackstrap rum.
White Rum: This is a type of rum made with molasses or sugar cane juice and alcohol that is filtered and bottled right away without the aging process. We used J. Wray & Nephew Overproof White Rum because it has unique vanilla, banana, coconut, and molasses flavors. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic White Cane Spirit in place of the overproof rum.
Pumpkin Spice Syrup: This is a sweetener made with pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, brown sugar, white sugar, and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s sous vide recipe.
Coffee Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with coffee, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Galliano Ristretto Espresso Liqueur because it has a strong coffee flavor with notes of dark chocolate. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Coffee Original Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the coffee liqueur.
Heavy Cream: This is a thick, high-fat milk product. We used use half & half instead of heavy cream because it’s lower in calories. For a dairy-free version of this drink, try Silk Dairy-Free Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative in place of the cream.
Caramel Sauce: This is a sweetener made with sugar, salt, vanilla, butter, and cream. We used Torani Puremade Caramel Sauce because it’s flavorful but has a thinner texture.
Coffee & Cocoa Bitters: This is a food product made with coffee beans, cocoa, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Crude Bitters & Sodas “Big Bear” Coffee & Cocoa Bitters.
Coffee Beans: This is the a seed of the Coffea plant.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Tweezers: This is used to place the garnish on the drink. We used one from the Stainless Steel Food Tweezers Set.
Tasting Notes
The Mocha Spiced Rum Russian features coffee and rum aromas, has an incredibly creamy mouthfeel which includes a blend of the Galliano Ristretto Liqueur’s unique coffee flavors balanced with a bit of pumpkin and caramel sweetness, and goes with a strong finish on a loud, funky rum note.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: While the version of the Mocha Spiced Rum Russian we served at our table used Kahlúa instead of Galliano Ristretto and a full ounce and a half of the blackstrap rum, we opted for the more unique coffee liqueur and dialed back the rum a touch to make up for using less sugar when making this one at home. We both found this beverage to be a top-notch Russian variation perfect for seasonal sipping.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“For this cocktail, I wanted to make a crowd-pleaser that would be enjoyable to those who didn’t live and breathe cocktails like we do, so I thought a cream-based Russian would do the trick. I did still want to make it unique though, so we landed on a spiced rum that the store stocks and our pumpkin spice syrup. When we arrived at the store, it turned out we didn’t have access to a spiced rum and instead ran with a blackstrap rum from local distillery Tattersall Distilling that had a seriously funky flavor. We ended up with a cocktail that was not only still delicious but incredibly unique.”—
Kendall’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
“If you’re looking for the most perfectly balanced fall or Christmas coffee cocktail, this is it! I don’t usually enjoy the taste of coffee anything because I find it too bitter, but it’s so muted in this drink that I thought it was incredibly sippable. Using rum instead of vodka in the Russian was also a nice change; you can definitely tell it’s there thanks to the blackstrap rum’s funkiness. Definitely whip this version up!”
Recipe
Add blackstrap rum, dark rum, pumpkin spice syrup, coffee liqueur, heavy cream, caramel sauce, coffee & cocoa bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with coffee beans.
Ingredients
Directions
Add blackstrap rum, dark rum, pumpkin spice syrup, coffee liqueur, heavy cream, caramel sauce, coffee & cocoa bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a cocktail glass.
Garnish with coffee beans.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic Dark Cane Spirit in place of the blackstrap rum, Lyre’s Non-Alcoholic White Cane Spirit in place of the overproof rum, and Lyre’s Coffee Original Non-Alcoholic Spirit in place of the coffee liqueur to try a booze-free version of this drink.
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More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Grand Galliano: A low-proof cocktail made with Liquore Galliano L’Autentico, Grand Marnier, heavy cream, an orange twist, and grated nutmeg
Chestnut Hot Chocolate: A brandy cocktail made with milk, frangelico liqueur, chestnut spread, saline solution, cocoa powder, cinnamon, whipped cream, and a chestnut
Hot Peppermint Patty: A low-proof cocktail made with milk, white peppermint schnapps, dark crème de cacao, white crème de menthe, cocoa powder, whipped cream, and grated chocolate
Chocolate-Covered Cherry: A brandy cocktail made with dark crème de cacao, cherry liqueur, and a cherry
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