The cocktail was named after the White Guards who fled abroad after defeat in the Civil War. In the West they were called “white Russians”. The cocktail was first found in specialized literature in 1930 - then it was called “Polar Bear” and was prepared from vodka, gin and cocoa liqueur. Only in 1950 did American bartenders change the recipe and name. Today it is an alcoholic mix based on vodka, coffee liqueur and cream or milk.