Eric and I stood at the kitchen counter with Kahlúa® and vodka bottles in front of us. It was time to make our very first White Russians. While I measured out the liquor, he grabbed handfuls of ice from the freezer and threw them into rocks glasses. To provide a unique spin on this classic drink, I switched out the dairy (milk, cream, or half and half) with coconut milk. This makes it vegan (or just accessible to those who may not tolerate dairy very well). Noticing that the coconut milk had started to separate in the can, we transferred it to a jar and gave it a good shake. When the lid was removed, the liquid looked smooth and creamy and had started to froth. Each glass was topped with a little, a quick "cheers" was said, and, finally, a sip was taken.

I can see why so many people enjoy this classic Kahlúa® drink. It's sweet, though not overly so, with hints of vanilla and caramel... and the coconut milk adds some body to the whole thing, especially as it mixes together with each sip you take. It makes for a wonderful after-dinner beverage. I’m excited to mix this up for our next dinner guests.

I had a great time playing around with Kahlúa® for the first time and I can't wait to share some more creations in the coming months as I partner with them and Drizly (an online liquor store that delivers right to your door) to present my unique spin on some of their classic drinks! I've already busted out the cocktail shaker to get to work on some concoctions and can assure you they're all quite delicious and different.

To try your hand at making a White Russian (vegan or not), head over to my recipe page on Drizly to get your cocktail ingredients! (There's a code for free delivery just for you! Just use "KahluaBOS" when you checkout.)

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Kahlúa®. All opinions expressed here are my own. Also, please drink responsibly.

Coconut Milk White Russian

Yield
1 drink

Ingredients
2 parts vodka
1 part Kahlúa®
1 part full-fat coconut milk

Directions
Place the coconut milk in a jar (or plastic container) with a lid. Give it a good shake for about 10 seconds.

Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add the vodka, followed by the Kahlúa®. Top with coconut milk. You can give it a stir, or let the alcohol and coconut milk mix together naturally with each sip.

Source: Adapted from the recipe posted on the Kahlua® website.

Beverage and prop styling by Catrine Kelty

Strawberry Rhubarb Shrub from A Thought For Food

We drank a lot that Monday night. More than we normally do. More than we should have on any weekday, but, hell, we were doing it as a part of our mixology education. The class was with Domingo-martin Barreres, the head bartender at Market by Jean-Georges and he had provided a number of recipes to try that night. Besides the six cocktails we were also given free reign to play with the ingredients purchased for the class. That led to another four or five beverages. Oh, and we hadn't eaten dinner yet.

Two things I took away from that evening were 1) that cocktails incorporating egg whites are da bomb and 2) that shrubs are going to be used in every one of our cocktails this summer. Shrubs, for those of you who aren't familiar with them, are vinegar based syrups. These shrubs are made by mashing fresh fruit with sugar and then soaking the fruit in vinegar for a week. The result is a slightly acidic, sweet, and fruity liquid that can be added to a cocktail to give it a little zip. There are basic shrubs (mango, strawberry, apple), but you can also play around with them to create some fun pairings (mango sriracha, strawberry basil, apple ginger). Here, though, I wanted to go seasonal, so I went straight for the classic strawberry-rhubarb combo.

Strawberry Rhubarb Shrub

(adapted from the recipe from Domingo-martin Barreres, the head bartender at Market by Jean-Georges)

Ingredients

.75 cups cut up fresh strawberries

.75 cups cut up rhubarb

1.5 cups white sugar

.75 cups balsamic vinegar

.75 cups cider vinegar

Directions

In a bowl, combine the cut up strawberries and rhubarb. Sprinkle the sugar on top and then mix together until all the fruit is coated with sugar. Let sit for 1 hour at room temperature.
Mash the fruit with a wooden spoon or whatever tool you have around to break up the fruit. Once you have done so, let sit for another hour. At this point, a lot of the juices should have been released.
After it has sat, mash the fruit again until it is completely mushy. Let sit, covered, at room temperature, for 24 hours.
Add in the vinegar, stir, and let sit, covered, for one week, making sure to give it a good stir every day.
After a week, strain the fruit from the mixture and save the liquid in a mason jar for up to 3 weeks. Use in a cocktail (I've provided a recipe for a Strawberry Rhubarb Collins below)

Strawberry-Rhubarb Shrub Collins

(created by Domingo-martin Barreres, the head bartender at Market by Jean-Georges)

Yields: 1 drink

Ingredients

1.5 fl. oz. citron vodka

1.5 fl. oz. strawberry-rhubarb shrub

4 fl. oz. soda water

1 strawberry slice, optional

Directions

Add vodka and shrub to a collins glass
Fill the glass with ice.
Top with soda water and garnish with strawberry slice on the rim.