If there is any cocktail that Irish whiskey is clearly linked to, it’s Irish Coffee. It’s a simple drink, but one that depends on the quality of it’s ingredients to make it really shine. Fortunately, most of the ingredients are readily accessible and probably around your home right now.
Irish Coffee
Whether you’re looking to kick start your St. Patrick’s day or round out the evening, Irish Coffee makes a lovely balanced option.
Irish Coffee is classic for so many reasons, not the least of which is the presentation. The beautiful layer of white cream set against the dark, rich coffee is beautiful and inviting. The notes of the whiskey come through enticingly on each sip, mixing perfectly with the coffee to give it a little extra in terms of fruity and woody notes. By making the cream fresh, you pick up additional richness, a creaminess, and a nice counterbalance to the sweetness of the coffee.
Drink Notes and Recommendations
So much of Irish Coffee comes down to your ingredients. Ironically, the while the whiskey is important, the other ingredients require more care to ensure a great experience:
- Irish Whiskey – The big thing here is you’re going to want to use a whiskey you enjoy drinking on it’s own. One of the reasons is that as alcohol gets warm, it gets increasingly noticeable. If you find the experience of your Irish Coffee to hot (in terms of alcohol) or aggressive flavor wise, consider reducing it. It won’t hurt the flavor as much as you think. We used The Dubliner is the pictured version.
- Coffee – Use a fresh brewed pot of coffee or single serve portion. The longer you allow the coffee to sit (especially on a warmer), the more it will begin to oxidize and breakdown. For the best experience, use freshly roasted and ground beans and an SCA certified coffeemaker.
- Simple Syrup – This is an area of your Irish coffee that you should experiment with. While you can use just normal 1 to 1 white sugar to water syrup, you should also consider using demerara or brown sugar simple syrups. Add a flavor like vanilla for bonus fun.
- Whipped Cream –
- This is one of the trickiest part of making this drink. An upright mixer or handheld cream beater is your best friend. The trick is to beat the cream when it’s both fresh and cold, and stop regularly to check the consistency. You’re looking for something flows, not a firm peak like you’d top your ice cream with. It’s almost lightly whipped.
- To layer, place the spoon with it’s back up and tip touching the side of the glass at the level of the coffee. Slowly pour the cream over the spoon to layer.
- Glassware – Glass mugs are one of the preferred ways to serve Irish Coffee due to the wow level of the presentation. Don’t let this stop you from serving it in a mug though, it tastes just as good!
- Garnish – While there doesn’t need to be anything else added, feel free to dust with chocolate shavings or fresh ground nutmeg for a little something more.