Ingredient notes
- Kahlúa: Or substitute any coffee-flavored liqueur such as Tia Maria or Bailey’s espresso.
- Irish cream: Bailey’s is popular, or try Five Farms, Kerrygold, or Carolans.
- Chocolate syrup: To make your own, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan. Add 1 cup cream, ¼ cup corn syrup, and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in 8 ounces finely chopped bittersweet chocolate. Cover for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- Chocolate shavings: Using a vegetable peeler, shave the edge of the chocolate bar for narrow curls, or the side of the chocolate bar for wide curls.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 1 cocktail.
- Glassware: Mudslides, like their counterpart the White Russian, are traditionally made in an Old Fashioned glass. Similar to a rocks glass or lowball glass, the Old Fashioned glass is decorated in the cut glass style.
- Big batch: To make a batch of 8 cocktails, combine 12 ounces (1 ½ cups) vodka, 8 ounces (1 cup) Kahlúa, and 8 ounces (1 cup) Irish cream in a pitcher. Have ice, glassware, a squeeze bottle of chocolate syrup, and a chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler on hand so guests can fix themselves a Mudslide.
- White Russian: Substitute heavy cream for the Irish cream. Omit the chocolate syrup drizzle in the glass and chocolate shavings on top.
- Black Russian: Omit the heavy cream, chocolate syrup, and chocolate shavings.
- Dirty Russian: Substitute chocolate camel’s milk for the Irish cream. Omit the chocolate syrup and chocolate shavings.
- Anna Kournikova: Substitute skim milk for the Irish cream. Omit the chocolate syrup and chocolate shavings.