Add Pumpkin Spice To Your Next White Russian For The Perfect Fall Drink
While some still believe that fall officially begins when the leaves start to change color or when the autumnal equinox happens, the real ones know fall actually begins when Starbucks brings back pumpkin spice. If, however, you prefer your pumpkin spice in a more libatious manner, consider making a Pumpkin Pie Spice White Russian at home.
Should you set out on this noble mission, first you need either pumpkin pie spice, a collection of ground seasonings such as cinnamon and ginger, or pumpkin pie spice extract, a liquid version. If you use the seasonings, make sure to fully mix and dissolve it into the heavy cream to avoid grittiness, though a dusting of it on top as a garnish wouldn't be remiss. If you use the liquid, measure it precisely because it's strong, using about half a teaspoon per 8 tablespoons of the other ingredients combined.
Other fall-flavored additions and substitutions for your next white Russian
A perfect way to slip some more fall cheer into your White Russian is to replace the heavy cream with eggnog. If you're only going to use it for your fall-centric White Russian, it's best to make your own eggnog so you can leave out the nutmeg (it's already in the pumpkin spice blend) and the various alcohols so they don't mess with the White Russian's flavor. If you don't want to go through that much effort, store-bought eggnog still gets the job done.
Using flavored alcohol is another great way to add more fall flavor. With White Russians, you typically use coffee liqueur and vodka. Starting with the former, Kahlúa is the gold standard and it has several flavors you can use. Its salted caramel flavor pairs especially well with pumpkin spice. As to vodka, if you can think of a flavor, it probably exists. There's a smoked salmon vodka for goodness' sake, but please don't use that for your pumpkin spice White Russian. Instead, try whipped cream or vanilla vodka if you don't want to mess with the flavor too much, or chocolate vodka if you do. There's even a pumpkin spice vodka if you want to consolidate ingredients.