Mudslide Cocktail Recipe

WRITTEN BY: SCOTT VAN DORT

The Mudslide is a popular dessert cocktail and the epitome of indulgence. This rich, sweet, creamy and oh-so-decadent cocktail is also super easy to make with just three-ingredients – Vodka, Coffee Liqueur and Irish Cream Liqueur.

Here, we’ll show you how to make the original Mudslide, as well as Frozen Mudslide, which Ricardo ‘Rico’ Dynan, Bartender and Absolut Global Brand Ambassador, hails as, “The best drink you can make with Kahlúa outside of the Espresso Martini.”

How To Make a Mudslide Cocktail

What You’ll Need

• Jigger or Measuring Instrument 
• Boston Shaker
• Hawthorne Strainer
• Rocks Glass

How to Mix

1. Use a Jigger to measure and pour Vodka into the smaller tin of your Boston Shaker.
2. Measure and pour Kahlúa into the Shaker.
3. Measure and pour Irish Cream Liqueur
into the Shaker. 
4. Fill your Shaker with Ice Cubes and shake vigorously until cold.
5. Separate the Shaker and place a Hawthorne Strainer over the larger tin of the shake.
6. Strain the cocktail directly into a Rocks Glass filled with Ice.
7. Sip and enjoy!

The History of the Mudslide Cocktail

When sipping the delicious indulgence that is the Mudslide, you might assume it was created as an après-ski drink. However, the most common story is that The Mudslide was created in the 1970s at a bar on Grand Cayman Island. The bar itself, however, claims on their own website that the Mudslide may have been created elsewhere but was made famous here.

According to the story, a customer of the Grand Cayman Island bar ordered a White Russian, and the bar decided to tweak the recipe by incorporating Irish Cream Liqueur. Not only was it a hit with the customer, but it also became a massive hit all over the U.S., eventually becoming a favorite at home cocktail parties and beyond.

Tips for Making the Perfect Mudslide Cocktail

• Fill your Shaker with lots of Ice
  Fill your Boston Shaker with as much Ice as possible as this will give you better control over the dilution of your drink.

• Give it a proper shake
  Be sure you shake your Boston Shaker from front to back with the Ice to mix everything thoroughly. Shake until the Shaker feels cold on the outside. Watch the video to see Rico demonstrate the perfect shaking technique. For more tips on how to use a cocktail shaker, be sure to check out this article.

Variations of a Mudslide Cocktail

Frozen Mudslide
“The wildest spiked milkshake of your life,” says Rico. If those words don’t inspire you to make the Frozen Mudslide, we don’t know what will.

The Frozen Mudslide follows the same recipe as the original Mudslide but includes a few scoops of Vanilla Ice Cream. Blend everything in a Blender until smooth. 

Prepare a Milkshake Glass by drizzling Chocolate Sauce inside, then pour the cocktail into the Glass. Garnish your drink as you would a milkshake, with options like Chocolate Sprinkles, Marshmallows, Shaved Chocolate, Orange Zest, or Whipped Cream—it’s up to you!

Check out our recipe for a Frozen Mudslide here.

Serving and Garnish Ideas for a Mudslide 

We recommend serving the Mudslide in a Rocks Glass filled with Ice without a garnish. However, if you want to add a garnish, shaved Dark Chocolate is a popular choice.