Ingredients
- 2 oz Coffee Liqueur
- 3 oz Milk
- 1 Splash(s) Club Soda
Instructions
Build in Glass:
- In a highball glass filled with ice, pour the coffee liqueur and milk.
Top with Soda:
- Top with a splash of club soda.
Serve:
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition:
Where it came from
The Smith and Kearns started life in North Dakota in the late 1950s. The story goes that two oil men, Larry Smith and Sterling Kearns, asked the Williston bartender for something that would let them sit and talk through a long evening. He built coffee liqueur, milk, and a top of soda. The drink stuck.
From there it migrated west to Montana ski lodges and then south, picking up the Tahoe and Aspen bar circuit through the 1970s. By the 90s it was a quiet rocks-glass standard at any bar that ran a decent coffee liqueur. It has never been a flashy drink. It is a long-conversation drink.
What it tastes like
Sweet coffee with a creamy mouthfeel and a light fizz on top. Closer to a coffee milkshake than a cocktail, with a cleaner finish than a White Russian.
The soda is the difference. Without it the drink stalls and tastes like sweet milky coffee. With it the drink lifts and stays drinkable across a long sit.
The technique
Fill a rocks glass with ice. Pour two ounces of coffee liqueur, then three ounces of milk. Top with a splash of club soda, no more than half an ounce. Stir gently to combine.
Cold ingredients matter. Cold milk holds the soda fizz longer and the drink looks cleaner over fresh ice. A wide rocks glass works best because it gives the soda room to breathe.
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Ingredient Spotlight
The bottle that does the talking.
Coffee Liqueur
- Use
- Kahlua Original (the bar standard) or Mr Black (closer to cold brew)
- Try
- Tia Maria for a cleaner finish; the White Russian uses the same family
- Why
- Coffee liqueur is the entire flavour profile here. Skip flavoured Kahlua (vanilla, espresso) for this drink, the additional sugar fights the milk. Check the bottle on age. Coffee liqueur loses its edge after 12 to 18 months open, and a tired bottle reads flat in this much milk.
The Milk
- Use
- Full-cream dairy milk, cold
- Try
- Half-and-half (richer, closer to a White Russian) or oat milk (Oatly Barista)
- Why
- Full-cream milk gives the drink body without weighing it down. Skim milk turns it watery. The soda needs the milk to push against. Plant milks work but oat is the only one that really holds the texture.
Three Variations
Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.
Heavier Version
- White Russian
- Swap milk for cream, drop the soda. Same coffee liqueur, much thicker mouthfeel. The Big Lebowski version.
Hot Version
- Mexican Coffee
- Hot black coffee plus the same coffee liqueur, top with whipped cream. Same flavour family, served warm.
Pub Style
- Mudslide
- Add Bailey’s and vodka, blend with ice cream. Far sweeter, far more dessert. The pub-version evolution of the same idea.
What if I don’t have…
Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.
Strong cold espresso plus a teaspoon of sugar syrup gets you close. Avoid coffee syrup on its own, no alcohol means a different drink.
Half-and-half makes it richer and closer to a White Russian. Oat milk works, almond milk is too thin and reads watery. Skip skim milk, the drink loses its body.
A splash of plain sparkling water. Or skip the top entirely and drink it as a short version, closer to a White Russian Lite.
Any short tumbler holding 8 to 10oz. The drink works in any vessel that fits ice and three pours. Wine glass works in a pinch.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.
What is a Smith and Kearns?
Two ounces coffee liqueur, three ounces milk, a splash of club soda, served over ice in a rocks glass. Stirred briefly, no garnish.
How do you make a Smith and Kearns?
Fill a rocks glass with ice, pour in two ounces of coffee liqueur, add three ounces of milk, then top with a splash of soda water. Stir gently and serve. The soda lifts the drink and stops it tasting flat.
What does a Smith and Kearns taste like?
Sweet coffee with a creamy mouthfeel and a light fizz on top. Closer to a coffee milkshake than a cocktail, with a cleaner finish than a White Russian.
Where did the Smith and Kearns come from?
A Williston, North Dakota bar in the late 1950s, named for two oil men who asked for a drink they could sit with. From there it travelled west through the Montana and Tahoe bar circuits.
Is a Smith and Kearns the same as a White Russian?
Close cousin. The White Russian uses cream and adds vodka. The Smith and Kearns drops the vodka, swaps cream for milk, and adds a soda top. Lighter, less boozy, easier to nurse.
Is a Smith and Kearns strong?
No. Total ABV lands around 8 percent in the glass, lower than a wine pour. Coffee liqueur is only 20 percent to begin with and the milk and soda dilute it further.
Can I make a Smith and Kearns with cream?
Yes. Half-and-half thickens the drink and pushes it toward a White Russian. Heavy cream is too rich for the soda top to lift, the drink stalls.
How many calories are in a Smith and Kearns?
Around 200 calories. Most of it is sugar from the coffee liqueur, with the rest from the milk. Not a low-calorie drink but lighter than a White Russian by 100 calories.
What glass should I use for a Smith and Kearns?
A 10oz rocks glass or short tumbler. The drink is meant to be sipped over ice, not a shot, not a long drink. The shape matters less than the volume.
Can I batch a Smith and Kearns?
Yes. Pre-mix coffee liqueur and milk in the proportions above, refrigerate, and top with soda per glass at service. Do not pre-mix the soda, the drink goes flat fast.
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More coffee-liqueur cousins from the same family.
