Irish Coffee Recipe

Irish Coffee Recipe

Irish Coffee is one of the classic cocktails.  You hear the term “Irish up the coffee” used very loosely, referring to putting any kind of liquor in coffee, but the real thing is done with Irish Whiskey.  Ireland is known for its cold, rainy weather, so it is no surprise that one of their signature cocktails is warm and cozy.  This Irish Coffee recipe is my take on the classic, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.

Ingredients

The two most important things in Irish Coffee are, of course, coffee and whiskey.  It is extremely important you use high quality versions of both.  The coffee is where you get the most flavor, so make sure it is one you like to drink – I picked this delicious bean from Chameleon Coffee that I have been drooling over every morning.  I found that the chocolate & cherry notes were a perfect complement to the Jameson Irish Whiskey.  While you could use any Irish Whiskey, or an whiskey in general for that matter, I always stick with Jameson.  It is smooth and delicious, a little sweet, and a little spicy.

Homemade Whipped Cream

A real Irish Coffee Recipe includes whipped cream on top.  Homemade whipped cream is infinitely better than the stuff in the spray can, and contains only a few ingredients.  It is also ridiculously easy to make.

There are a few different ways to get your cream whipped at home, and I chose to go with the easiest, laziest way – using my KitchenAid Mixer.  There are many people that will tell you to that hand whipping is the only way to go, and I totally see where they are coming from.  You incorporate the sugar well, it is evenly whipped, and much more difficult to over whip when you are doing it by hand.  I like to just put my ingredients in the mixer and let it go, but it is totally up to you.  The Pioneer Woman has a great article that details the advantages and disadvantages of each way; be sure to check it out if you are new to making your whipped cream at home.

Even with the mixer, I thought my whipped cream turned out pretty well.  It was delicious.

Putting Your Coffee Together

Now that our coffee is brewed, cream is whipped, and ingredients are gathered, we can finally start making this cocktail.  A traditional Irish Coffee mug is glass and usually taller and more slender than a typical coffee mug.  I don’t have one, but I am not going to let it stop me from making Irish Coffee.  Anything that holds coffee will do.

Once you have your mug, put your brown sugar in.  Typically white sugar is used, but I love the caramelly flavor of the brown with the whiskey.

Then pour your PIPING HOT coffee over the sugar and stir until dissolved, followed by your shot or so of Jameson.

Top that with your delicious homemade whipped cream, and try to let it sit on top of the coffee.  Many people like to add Baileys Irish Cream – either half whiskey and half Baileys, or sometimes omitting whiskey entirely and replacing it. This is not as traditional, and I would never dare leave whiskey out of an Irish Coffee, but adding a little Irish Cream doesn’t hurt anyone.

I had some green sprinkles left over from my Mardi Gras King Cake Bread Pudding, so I used them to “jazz up” the coffee.

The final step is to drink your Irish Coffee!  You deserve it after all your hard work.

The Verdict

I am Really Into This Irish Coffee Recipe. Irish Coffee should not be relegated to only St. Patrick’s Day – it is great for special occasions, family get together’s, cold nights, Christmas parades or football games. It is a cozy drink that deserves to be enjoyed all year long.

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Irish Coffee

This traditional Irish Coffee Recipe is perfect for St. Patrick's Day, or any day you want a warm coffee treat.

Course Drinks

Servings 1

Author Jessica Patch

Ingredients

Irish Coffee

• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Brewed Coffee
• 1.5 Oz Irish Whiskey preferably Jameson
• 1.5 Oz Irish Cream Optional
• Whipped Cream Topping

Homemade Whipped Cream

• 2 Tbsp Sugar
• 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

Instructions

Irish Coffee

1. Place brown sugar in coffee mug

2. Pour hot brewed coffee in mug and stir

3. Add Irish Whiskey and stir

4. Mix in the Irish Cream (optional)

5. Top with Whipped Cream

Homemade Whipped Cream

1. Chill Mixing Bowl in freezer for 10 minutes

2. Whisk sugar and cream together until peaks form - don't over mix