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Irish coffee recipe
Irish coffee is one of the most famous coffee drinks in the world and there are so many coffee lovers who often love to drink this coffee cocktail.
Equipment
It’s easy to make an Irish coffee at home, you'll just need a few essential tools:
- A heatproof glass
- Coffee maker or French press
- Whisk or hand mixer
- Spoon
Ingredients
Here are the Irish Coffee ingredients you will need:
- 150ml freshly brewed hot black coffee:
- 2 tbsp double cream
- 50ml Irish whiskey - make sure to choose an Irish brand, otherwise it won’t be a real Irish coffee!
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar - adjust to taste based on your preference for sweetness
- Ground nutmeg or cinnamon (optional)
Preparation
- Step 1. Preheat the glass by rinsing it with hot water. This will ensure that your drink stays warm for longer.
- Step 2. Very lightly whip your cream so that it’s slightly thickened and set aside
- Step 3. Brew your coffee using your preferred method and make sure it's piping hot
- Step 4. With a steam wand form a coffee machine or in a small pot, warm up the sugar and the whiskey until sugar is dissolved, then pour it into the glass
- Step 5. Slowly pour the whiskey into the coffee in the glass and stir well to combine
- Step 6. Using a spoon, carefully layer the whipped cream atop the coffee mixture, allowing it to gently float without blending
- Step 7. For an extra touch of flavour and garnish, add a sprinkle of ground nutmeg or cinnamon over the whipped cream.
- Step 8. Serve and enjoy your Irish coffee!
What is an Irish Coffee
An Irish coffee is a caffeinated alcoholic drink or cocktail containing a mix of Irish whiskey, hot coffee, sugar and cream. There is much contention around the when and whereabouts of the drink’s invention, but one popular theory states that the drink originated during WWII, at the Foynes Airbase in County Limerick, where the head chef added whiskey to the coffee as a warm welcome for some of the arriving passengers.
Tips and curiosities
Here are a few ways you can upgrade or mix up your Irish coffee:
- Choose a bold and full-bodied coffee for the best flavour: a rich, dark roasted coffee will provide the best flavour in an Irish coffee
- The best Irish coffee glass: a heatproof, tall stemmed glass, specifically designed for Irish coffee will help maintain the temperature of the drink for an optimum drinking experience
- How to make Irish coffee with Irish cream: if you like your Irish coffee extra sweet, then you can substitute the sugar with a couple of spoonfuls of Irish cream to make your drink extra creamy and delicious.
- Alcohol-free Irish Coffee: if you’d prefer an alcohol-free warming drink, you can simply follow the same method illustrated above, removing the whiskey from the mix. It won’t technically be Irish, but it will still taste good!
- Decaf Irish Coffee: for an after-dinner drink, or for those who don’t like to consume caffeine, use a decaffeinated coffee in your Irish Coffee.
- Other alcohol variations: while the original recipe calls for Irish whiskey, you can always swap that ingredient for rum or bourbon if you’d prefer another spirit.
- Iced Irish Coffee: On summer days when the weather is hot, enjoy an Irish Coffee over ice for a refreshing cold variation on this classic cocktail!
