“The Brown Russian does not have a distinct documented origin story like its progenitor, the Black Russian (created in 1949 by Gustave Tops at Hotel Metropole in Brussels). Instead, it evolved as an informal variation in the decades that followed, likely emerging as bartenders and home mixologists experimented with lengthening classic cocktails with sodas. The addition of ginger ale to a Black Russian is a logical progression that transforms it from a potent sipper into a more refreshing, sessionable drink. The name "Brown Russian" serves as a catch-all for various "Russian" cocktails that are brown in color but aren't Black or White Russians.”