If you've ever had the pleasure of seeing The Big Lebowski (and we certainly hope you have, since after nearly two decades of cult-classic status you don't have much of an excuse), you'll be well acquainted with the fact that Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski was probably the best ambassador the White Russian has ever had. As we come up on March 6th—the anniversary of the film's release, known in Lebowski fan circles as The Day of the Dude—it's only fitting that we all get out our vodka, Kahlúa, and cream and start mixing.

The White Russian is a descendant of the Black Russian (who would've guessed?), a simple drink made with vodka and coffee liqueur that differs only in that it omits the cream. While we don't actually know if the Black Russian recipe came first, it's generally just easier to think about it that way—regardless, both drinks can be traced back to the middle of the 20th century.

How to Make a White Russian

Somewhere along the way, an enterprising bartender likely realized that cream was a natural pairing for any drink that went heavy on the coffee liqueur, and thus our hero was born. The classic White Russian recipe uses 1.5-2 ounces of vodka (you don't have to use anything fancy, as it'll mostly be covered up by the other flavors), 1 ounce of coffee liqueur (Kahlúa is the most popular, but it's fun to experiment with other brands as well), and 1-2 ounces of cream (we prefer half and half, as it's not too rich, but not as watery as using regular milk).

Simply add the ingredients to an Old-Fashioned glass in that order, and the cream will float on top, making for some very cool patterns as it meanders around your glass. When you're done staring—and depending on how many you've had, that might be a while—stir it up gently and serve.

You're always welcome to make your White Russian the authentic Lebowski way, too, which involves a few heaping spoonfuls of powdered creamer, but we'll warn you that the novelty wears off pretty quickly. That said, if you find yourself at one of the many screenings of the film that will be going on this Sunday, you might just have to get in character and abide like The Dude.