Black Russian has always been my favorite cocktail.
There’s something about that perfect blend between the fragrantly sweet Kahlúa and the aggressively strong Vodka that I find irresistible.
Most of my friends and colleagues think of me as a non-drinker, but that’s only because I hate tasteless alcohol (like Soju, the national alcoholic drink in Korea) with a passion. On the other hand, I like to enjoy a glass of good wine, cocktail, or beers like Guinness Stout every once in a while.
The only downside about cocktails is that they tend to be rather expensive if you order them at a bar. A typical glass at a none-too-fancy bar will set you back at least 10,000 Korean Won (approximately $9).
This got me to thinking, “Why can’t I mix my own cocktail in the comfort of my home?”
Black Russian also happens to be one of the easiest cocktails to mix, so I went ahead with my plan.
I bought a 1-liter bottle of Smirnoff Red Label and a 400ml bottle of Kahlúa at Home Plus (a local discount store) on my way home, costing me 39,000 KRW (around $35).
And now to mix myself some Black Russian:
- Put some ice cubes in an old-fashioned glass
- Pour 50ml of Vodka onto the ice
- Pour 20ml of Kahlúa on top
- Give 2~3 brisk stirs
And that’s all there is to it! No wonder it’s called one of the simplest cocktails to mix!
Now let’s see how much I’ve saved…
I should be able to mix something like 20 glasses of Black Russian with these bottles of Vodka and Kahlúa. So the cost of each glass would come down to a mere 1,950 KRW, or a little less than $2!
Quite the deal, if I can say so myself 
