Irish Coffee Recipe
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The original Irish coffee was a concoction of a bit of whiskey, a generous splash of black coffee, a dollop of whipped cream, and a smattering of genius. Pedigrees for most drinks are dubious at best, but the Irish coffee is well documented. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Stanton Delaplane was served one at Ireland’s Shannon Airport bar in 1952; after returning to San Francisco, he passed the recipe on to barman Jack Koeppler at the Buena Vista and soon to the rest of the country. The story behind this immensely popular beverage is that Irish bartender Joe Sheridan created the rejuvenating brew during World War II to greet weary Yankee travelers arriving by seaplane in the wee hours of the morning. Interestingly, the Irish drank whiskey in tea, but Sheridan apparently knew the American palate and had the wherewithal to substitute coffee.
The best Irish coffee should be treated no differently than the naked brew. Use high-quality, freshly ground and brewed beans, and always whip your heavy cream without sugar right before serving.
This recipe was featured as part of our Hot Boozy Drinks photo gallery.
- 4 ounces freshly brewed coffee
- 1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- Dollop of freshly whipped cream
- Combine the coffee, whiskey, and sugar in a hot Irish coffee mug; then float whipped cream on top.
Variations:
Italian coffee: Substitute amaretto for the whiskey.
Jamaican coffee: Substitute dark rum for the whiskey.
Mexican coffee: Substitute Kahlúa for the whiskey.
This recipe, while from a trusted source, may not have been tested by the CHOW food
team.
Copyright Quirk Books
What kinds of coffee roasts do you like best to Irish it up? I like to use a malty medium roast like a lot of Ritual's roasts. Definitely don't like lighter roasts or ones that are too dark (might as well drink the whisky straight!)
@brain_og: thanks man for correcting what the article said above. you've done a great job :D cheers!!! for St. Patrick's day http://irishcarbomb.com/
@brian_og thanks, great tip! Still needs practice, but thanks a lot
Thats a really lazy NON-IRISH Irish Coffee recipe :) First: This is incorrect: "Combine the coffee, whiskey, and sugar in a hot Irish coffee mug;" You have to mix the coffee with the sugar BEFORE you add the Whiskey otherwise the sugar doesnt melt properly and you have little bots of sugar at the bottom. Second and much more importantly, NO self respecting Irish bartender will use a dollop of cream. The proper way to do it is to pour fresh, unwhipped, cream over a spoon and onto the coffee. Yes its a skill to get it so that the cream doesnt sink (u do it by stirring/swirling the coffee with a spoon (as in egg poaching) and then pouring the cream over the back of the spoon onto the edge of the coffee glass). Drink well!!
I made it a point to have Irish coffee in Dublin, and this is it! And I totally agree-do NOT use fake sweetener, and I would stay away from the creme de menthe. And (speaking as an Irish person) let us not forget or dismiss the medicinial properties of this drink! It will cure what ails you-physically or spiritually--guaranteed! Slainte!
Use the inverted bowl of a dessert spoon to float the cream onto the coffee. Also do not scrimp on the sugar and don't use sweetener - the sugar helps the coffee to support the cream. Otherwise you get a kind of brown, milky mixture instead of the defined lines of cream and black.
It needs a splash of green creme de menthe on the whipped cream.
Most bars and bartenders will agree with the Irish recipe. A Mexican coffee, on the other hand, is generally made with Tequila, Kahlua and coffee, with no sugar added.