Erase your mind with the Mind Eraser—a fave from the ’80s that combines vodka, Kahlua, and soda water.
Ahh… the ’80s. That’s when pastel, acid wash, and MTV were in. It was also the age of vodka and Kahlua teamed up to infiltrate the bars and pubs in America. Though arguably their most famous co-pro is the Black Russian—created in the 1940s/1950s—in the 1980s, they appeared in the Mind Eraser, a cocktail that used soda water instead of cream.
As with everything else ’80s-related, the Mind Eraser is making a comeback. And why not? It’s delicious and incredibly simple to make. Why is it called a Mind Eraser? Maybe because you will have to erase from your mind any expectation of a flat drink and instead pave the way for a bubbly one. Once you’ve accomplished that act of mental discipline, you’ll be able to sit back, put on some Debbie Gibson, and enjoy.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Kahlua
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce soda water
Instructions
- Fill a glass with ice.
- Pour in the Kahlua, followed by the vodka. It’s important to layer these ingredients in this order for the best flavor and experience.
- Slowly top off the glass with the soda water.
Nutrition
Tips & Tricks to Making a Perfect Mind Eraser
- Part of the fun of a Mind Eraser is the layered presentation. Pour your ingredients slowly or even better, do so over the back of a spoon.
- Following on from the previous point, don’t stir your drink! You need to keep those layers intact.
- The mind eraser is supposed to be refreshing so don’t forget to use chilled ingredients.
- Use a straw and drink the bottom layer first. That’s how the creators of the Mind Eraser wanted you to drink it.
- Some enjoy their Mind Eraser with flat or almost-flat soda water as this allows the layers to settle more easily.
FAQs
A rocks glass or Old-Fashioned glass is ideal. It’s short with a wide mouth. The Mind Eraser is one of those cocktails that doesn’t really go for fancy garnish but you can use a lemon or orange twist of you want some color.
The Mind Eraser is layered and carbonated, two good reasons to not store it!
We count 163 calories in this recipe. As a majority comes from the Kahlua, you can shop around for other coffee liqueurs that may be a bit lighter in calories.
No, you can use any coffee liqueur. Kahlua was just very big in the 1980s and was readily available at pretty much every bar and liquor store.
Sure. Build the shot, following the same steps as this recipe, just reduce the amount used but maintain the ratio (i.e., 1/3 of vodka, Kahlua, and soda).
Similar Cocktails Worth Trying
Mind Eraser Mocktail: Drop the vodka and replace the Kahlua with a coffee-flavored cream (the sort you you might add to your coffee in the morning).
Black Russian: Vodka and Kahlua.
White Russian: Vodka, Kahlua and a splash of cream.
Espresso Martini: Vodka, Kahlua and espresso.
Frozen Mudslide: Vodka, Kahlua, Baileys, ice cream and chocolate.
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