Irish Coffee
- Glass
- Rocks
- Difficulty
- Easy
- ABV
- ~10%
Ingredients
- 1½ ozirish whiskey45 ml
- 4 ozhot brewed coffee120 ml
- 2 tspbrown sugar2 tsp
- 1 ozheavy cream30 ml
Instructions
Pre-warm your Irish coffee glass or heatproof mug by filling it with hot water for 30 seconds, then emptying it. Add the brown sugar to the warm glass. Pour in the hot coffee and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved — this is important, undissolved sugar will sink and the drink will be unbalanced. Add the Irish whiskey and stir once more. Now the cream: lightly whip the heavy cream until it just begins to thicken — it should pour slowly but still be liquid. Pour it over the back of a bar spoon held just above the surface of the coffee. The cream should float in a distinct layer. Do not stir. Drink through the cream.
Sips & Tips
Technique
The cream float is everything. Lightly whipped cream — not stiff, not liquid — poured over a bar spoon creates the signature layer. The drinker sips the hot, whiskey-spiked coffee through the cold cream. If the cream sinks, it was too liquid; if it sits in a stiff mound, it was over-whipped. Pre-warming the glass is not optional — a cold glass will cool the coffee too quickly and the cream won't float properly.
Balance
Use a good Irish whiskey — Jameson is the classic, but Redbreast 12 or Tullamore D.E.W. add more complexity. The coffee should be strong and freshly brewed; weak coffee gets lost under the cream and whiskey. Brown sugar adds a molasses warmth that white sugar can't match. The ratio of coffee to whiskey is flexible — some prefer a stronger pour, some lighter.
History
Irish Coffee was invented by Joe Sheridan, a chef at Foynes Port in County Limerick, Ireland, in 1943. He created it to warm American passengers who had just endured a rough transatlantic flight. The drink was brought to the United States by travel writer Stanton Delaplane, who introduced it to the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco in 1952. The Buena Vista still serves thousands of Irish Coffees every day.
Irish Coffee is one of those drinks that sounds simple but rewards attention to detail. Get the cream right, use good whiskey, and drink it while it's hot. Cheers.
Variations
Espresso Irish Coffee
Replace the brewed coffee with a double shot of espresso topped with hot water (essentially an Americano). The espresso's intensity stands up to the whiskey more assertively — a bolder, more complex version.
Bourbon Coffee
Swap the Irish whiskey for bourbon. The vanilla and caramel notes of bourbon play beautifully against the coffee and cream. Use a wheated bourbon like Maker's Mark for a softer result.
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Irish Coffee
Glass: Rocks | Difficulty: Easy | ABV: ~10%
Ingredients
- 1½ oz irish whiskey
- 4 oz hot brewed coffee
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 oz heavy cream
Instructions
Pre-warm your Irish coffee glass or heatproof mug by filling it with hot water for 30 seconds, then emptying it. Add the brown sugar to the warm glass. Pour in the hot coffee and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved — this is important, undissolved sugar will sink and the drink will be unbalanced. Add the Irish whiskey and stir once more. Now the cream: lightly whip the heavy cream until it just begins to thicken — it should pour slowly but still be liquid. Pour it over the back of a bar spoon held just above the surface of the coffee. The cream should float in a distinct layer. Do not stir. Drink through the cream.