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Cocktails

Irish Coffee, the Original Recipe

Irish Coffee is a rich hot cocktail from Ireland, made with coffee, whiskey, brown sugar, and cream, and enjoyed piping hot.
Recipe Irish Coffee, the Original Recipe
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Preparation 10 minutes
  • Servings for 1 person

Irish Coffee is a cocktail from Ireland that is much loved and known all over the world. Made with Coffee, Whiskey, Brown Sugar and Cream, it is usually served in the cold season, because it must be enjoyed hot.

Before we show you how to make Irish Coffee, we want to tell you the incredible story of this special Irish-style Coffee. According to legend, Irish Coffee was invented by Joe Sheridan, head bartender at the bar of Shannon Airport, in Ireland. One night in 1942, many passengers arrived at the bar, tired and annoyed because their flight had been canceled due to bad weather. To lift their spirits, Sheridan decided to add a little Cream and a splash of Whiskey to ordinary Coffee. When the customers, who loved the drink, asked the bartender whether it was Brazilian coffee, he replied with amusement: “No, it’s Irish Coffee!” And that is how the Irish Coffee Cocktail was born.

Making Irish Coffee is fairly simple, but you need to follow the recipe to the letter and use the right amounts of each ingredient: that is the only way to get the original Irish Coffee. In our recipe you’ll discover all the secrets of the perfect Irish Coffee, from how to prepare the cream to which glass to use.

If you love Hot Alcoholic Drinks, we also recommend trying the Orange Punch, English Eggnog, and the luscious Zabaione (Italian Egg and Marsala Custard). Now let’s discover the Original Irish Coffee Recipe together.

Ingredients for 1 person

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Method

  1. To make the Irish Coffee, start by brewing the coffee, ideally in a moka pot (a stovetop espresso maker).
  2. Pour the cream, cold from the refrigerator, into a bowl and beat it with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes at most: it should be slightly thick but still pourable.
  3. As soon as the coffee is ready, pour it straight into the glass with the whiskey, add the sugar, and stir well to combine all the ingredients.
  4. Rest a teaspoon on the rim of the glass with the back facing up (in other words, the teaspoon should be upside down compared with how you normally hold it).
  5. Gently pour the cream over the teaspoon so it slides into the glass: this way the cream won’t mix with the coffee and whiskey but will stay on the surface.
  6. Homemade Irish coffee
    As you pour the cream into the glass, gradually lift the teaspoon slightly to spread it evenly. Once all the cream is poured, serve the Irish Coffee piping hot. Finally, remember to download our App with exclusive content and fewer ads!

Variations and Alternatives

To make Irish Coffee you need to stick strictly to the ingredients in the recipe, but you can get creative decorating your cocktail however you like: you can serve it with Wafer straws, or decorate it with Cocoa or Coffee Beans.

Tips

For a truly perfect Irish Coffee, we recommend using tulip glasses: their shape will help you spread the cream evenly.

Storage

Irish Coffee is a drink that must be enjoyed right away, piping hot.

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