Before the invention of the White Russian
cocktail, the term referred simply to the people and language of
Belarus, whose name actually means "White
Russia." The connection is far less apparent in English-speaking countries than in
Germany, where the country is called
Weissrussland.
Its origin has nothing to do with the race or ethnicity of Belarusians, who are Slavic just like their eastern neighbors in Russia. Some scholars think that "white" was originally used as a synonym for "free" in old Slavic languages, and "White Russia" got its name because it, unlike the other Russian principalities, was never invaded or ruled by the Tatars. It's also possible that it came about as a way of distinguishing "White Russian" territory from the "Black Russia" ruled from Kiev.