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It doesn’t have to be St. Patrick’s Day to indulge in a warm, boozy Irish coffee! This recipe is as authentic as it gets, with freshly brewed coffee blended with a splash of whiskey and topped with cream. Sweeten it up with sugar, or don’t. Either way, it’s sure to warm you from head to toe!
Irish coffee is the perfect warming treat or after-dinner coffee cocktail. For another boozy hot drink, try my spiked hot chocolate made in the crockpot and this easy Mexican coffee.
Top o’ the morning, friends! Or should I say evening, since that’s the perfect time of day for this deliciously creamy, whiskey-spiked Irish coffee. I first sipped an Irish coffee in a hole-in-the-wall pub in Chicago. It was cozy and boozy with the PERFECT layer of frothy cream on top. The bartender was kind enough to show me his trick: adding the cream by pouring it over an upside-down spoon. Game-changer! I’ve been making Irish coffee this way ever since.
What Makes This Coffee the Best
- Made your way. I’ve had Irish coffees in restaurants that are cloyingly sweet, rich, and filled with flavorings. That’s why I love making mine at home! It’s super simple and I make my Irish coffee exactly how I like it.
- Simple. Irish coffee couldn’t be easier to make. There are just 4 ingredients and you likely have them in the house already.
- Cozy. I love the mellow warmth of the whiskey blended with fresh hot coffee, and a touch of cream on top ties it all together. It’s the perfect drink for a cold day, and I’ll make these in the warmer months, too, as a nightcap when we have dinner with friends.
Why Is It Called Irish Coffee?
As with most things Irish, there’s a bit of a legend behind Irish coffee. The story goes that it was a cold, stormy night on the coast of Ireland in 1942. After making an emergency landing, a passenger plane disembarked in Foynes, where a chef named Joe Sheridan prepared coffees mixed with sugar and whiskey to warm up the stranded passengers. Sipping for the first time, one of the passengers asked “Is this Brazillian coffee?” To which Sheridan replied, “No, that’s Irish coffee!” And the rest is history!
What You’ll Need
Along with his handy spoon trick, my bartender friend shared that authentic Irish coffee needs just four ingredients: very black coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and cream. Keep it simple, sunshine! Below are some quick notes. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable ingredients with the amounts.
- Brewed Coffee – Choose your favorite blend and brew it fresh. You can also make an Americano with espresso roast topped up with hot water if you’d like.
- Sugar – I can’t resist sweetening up my coffee a little, so I add sugar. Feel free to skip it or use your choice of sweetener instead.
- Irish Whiskey – It doesn’t have to be fancy, but make sure it’s a whiskey you’d like to drink as the flavors will stand out. McConnell’s and Jameson are popular Irish brands. Of course, if you don’t have Irish whiskey, Scotch or Bourbon will do. I won’t tell.
- Heavy Cream – For whipping. Whole milk won’t work here unless you have a milk frother.
How to Make Irish Coffee
Irish coffee is so popular, they even have glassware specifically for it! An Irish coffee mug is a tall glass with a handle like the one pictured. But, really, any mug will do. Before I make my drink, I like to “preheat” the mug with hot water. Then, follow these steps.
- Spike the coffee. If you’ve warmed up the mug, dump out the hot water. Fill the mug with brewed coffee. Stir in the sugar to taste, then a splash of whiskey.
- Whip the cream. In a bowl, beat heavy cream until it’s just frothy and still pourable.
- Finish and serve. Now, for the spoon trick! Hold a spoon upside down over the mug and pour over the cream. The cream should float on top of the coffee. Magic!
Recipe Tip
If you don’t drink coffee black, feel free to stir in a splash of milk when adding the sugar, to lighten it up. You could also go half and half with whiskey and Bailey’s Irish Cream for a creamier drink.
Serving Suggestions
Nothing warms the cockles on St. Patty’s Day like a cozy Irish coffee topped with whipped cream. It’s the perfect follow-up or lead-in to our annual corned beef and cabbage. But I’ll make Irish coffee year-round to have after dinner, or as a way to warm up on a chilly afternoon.
It’s delicious after a meal of Guinness beef stew or a Dublin coddle with skillet bread on the side. It’s also one of my favorite after-dinner cocktails to wash down a slice of flourless chocolate cake, or I’ll have it with biscotti for dunking.
Can I Store Leftovers?
This Irish coffee is best served right away. Leftovers aren’t great reheated! Lucky for us, Irish coffee is so simple to make that it’s easy to brew fresh each time.
More Coffee Drinks to Try
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Irish Coffee
Ingredients
- hot water, for heating the mug
- 6 ounces brewed black coffee
- 2 teaspoons sugar, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons Irish Whiskey
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Warm up the mug. Fill a mug with hot water and let it stand for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Mix the coffee. Empty the water from the mug. Add brewed coffee and stir in the sugar and whiskey.
- Whip the cream. Place heavy cream in a mixing bowl and whisk until frothy, but pourable. You can also use an electric mixer.
- Top and serve. Hold a spoon upside down over the mug and slowly pour the cream over the spoon, allowing the cream to float on top of the coffee. Serve.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I cannot think of a better way to get through winter. This is like a tropical destination in your house. OK not really but it helps.
I think I just walk around muttering about warmth and sunshine and California and Florida all the time. And were getting another arctic blast 🙁 I’m not typically a coffee drinker but I need this!
Gotta love an hot Irish drink… looks amazing. 🙂
Is it too early to start my day off with a cup of this? No? Good! Heading to the kitchen!
I don’t drink coffee but I would definitely drink this!
Yum, I’m pretty sure I would drink way too many of these! 😉
I’m so over this cold too Kate! I live by the lake so it’s even worse!
I LOVE Irish Coffee! I get those all the time in the wintertime because I can’t down ice cold booze in the Winter, just can’t!! And be proud because some restaurants in Chicago don’t know how to make it which is so bizzarre-they should all learn how! Sheesh lol.
Hope you are planning something fun for your birthday. We got so lucky being born in the Winter didn’t we? lol.
I’m in that midway place. It gets cold, but not cold enough that I would want to move to Florida. But, and this is a big but, it’s definitely cold enough for a mug of Irish coffee (maybe two).
Oh…my…goodness. They all look delicious. Especially, the very last one. Chocolate, vanilla, caramel. yum
We pretty much spent the polar vortex warm and drunk, too! haha We stocked up on wine, and popped our first bottle before lunch. It was a mini vacation…although, we still had to shovel the driveway..