Among lots of cocktail fans, the trend is for drinks that are dry, bitter, or extremely boozy, such as a very dry classic martini. However, those drinks aren’t to everyone’s tastes — and they aren’t the only types of cocktail out there. If you find yourself indifferent to the charms of the strong and bitter drinks you see on most menus, or if you just want to try something new, then there’s a whole world of fun and sweet dessert cocktails for you to try.
We’re talking about drinks like the grasshopper, White Russian, espresso martini, and the mudslide. And while we could go into length explaining the intricacies of every one of the cocktails we just mentioned, today we’re most concerned with the mudslide cocktail.
How to make a mudslide
Here’s the best mudslide recipe to add to your home bar drink list.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 ounces of vodka
- 1 ounce of Kahlua (or your favorite coffee liqueur)
- 1 ounce of Bailey’s Irish Cream (or your favorite Irish cream)
Method
- Add the vodka, coffee liqueur, and Irish cream to an ice-filled shaker.
- Shake the ingredients vigorously to combine.
- Strain the ingredients into ice-filled rocks or Old Fashioned glass.
- Drink it as it is or add a garnish of a drizzle of chocolate syrup or a few dashes of cocoa powder.
What’s a mudslide?
Similar to the White Russian, the mudslide is made with vodka and coffee liqueur. But while the former cocktail is made with heavy cream, the mudslide swaps it out for Irish cream. It’s a creamy, boozy dessert cocktail you’ll crave again and again.
What’s the difference between a mudslide and a Bushwacker?
If you know your dessert cocktails well, you might notice that the mudslide is similar to the Bushwacker cocktail. But while the mudslide is a relatively simple combination of just three ingredients — vodka, Irish cream, and coffee liqueur — there are more ingredients used in a Bushwacker. The traditional Bushwacker recipe calls for dark rum, creme de cacao, coffee liqueur, whole milk, and cream of coconut. However, despite their different ingredient lists, the overall effects of the cocktails are quite similar.
Essentially, if you like your drinks sweet, creamy, and full of coffee and chocolately flavors, then you’ll probably enjoy both a mudslide and a Bushwacker. The mudslide tends to be more like an indulgent Tiramisu dessert, while the coconut in the Bushwacker gives it a more tropical holiday vibe. Try out both if you see them on a drinks menu, as they both make for a fun, rich way to end a meal.
What is its history?
While some cocktails have mysterious histories with multiple potential origin stories, the mudslide’s history isn’t the least bit murky. While the actual year is up for debate, it’s believed that this drink was created in the 1970s in the Cayman Islands on Grand Cayman. It was made by a bartender named Byron Tibor at Rum Point Club’s Wreck Bar when he didn’t have any heavy cream to make a White Russian and decided to use Bailey’s instead.
Bottom line
While this is a very simple, sweet, boozy, three-ingredient cocktail, there are some versions that make it a frozen drink by blending everything with ice. If you want a more refreshing, summery take on the drink for a hot day, go with that version. If you simply want an indulgent dessert cocktail, keep it simple with our recipe. It’s all up to you.
Also, with all cocktails, quality matters. If you want to have the best, most enjoyable after-dinner mudslide, you won’t be bottom shelf, harsh ingredients. It starts with the vodka. You don’t have to pay a month’s rent, but you should get something reasonably good. Also, don’t skimp on the coffee liqueur and Irish cream or you’ll end up with a cloying, undrinkable mess. If you’re whipping up cocktails for friends and family, make them something they’ll remember for a good reason, not a bad one.
