A Mudslide is essentially the grown‑up cousin of a milkshake: vodka, coffee liqueur, and Irish cream shaken together (or blended) into a silky, indulgent cocktail. It first appeared in the 1970s at the Wreck Bar in Rum Point Club on Grand Cayman Island, when a bartender improvised a twist on a White Russian using Irish cream instead of heavy cream . That improvisation turned into a classic–one that later became a staple at American bars and chain restaurants, celebrated for being sweet, boozy, and unapologetically decadent.

I just had first Mudslide a few weeks ago—not in some tropical beach bar where the drink was born, but somewhere in Reno on a chilly evening when I wanted something sweet, comforting, and coffee‑adjacent. I didn’t know what to expect, but that first sip was a revelation: creamy with ice-cream, bold with coffee liqueur, and just boozy enough to warm the edges of the night. It felt like the perfect crossover between my love of coffee and my curiosity for cocktails—a gateway drink that showed me how coffee flavors can shine far beyond the mug. Now just to make a skinny version of this cocktail…