Easy Irish Coffee Recipe – Enjoy Caffeine with a Whiskey Kick

I’m a fan of both coffee and whiskey, so it’s only natural that I occasionally treat myself with some Irish coffee.

Aside from warmth, appealing look, and rich taste, it’s also very easy to make. So today, I wanted to share my simple Irish coffee recipe that you can replicate at home.

What is Irish Coffee?

Irish coffee is a coffee cocktail made by combining brewed coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and whipped cream. This makes a pretty interesting fusion featuring the kick of coffee, the buzz of whiskey, the creaminess of whipped cream, and a hint of sweetness from the sugar.

Its story goes back to the 1940s at the Foynes Port maritime airport in Ireland, where Chef Joe Sheridan served it to travelers. This was back in the early days of flying, when float planes would land on the water and cold, shivering passengers were brought ashore by boat. To warm them up, Sheridan created the now world famous Irish coffee.

An Irish friend recommended it to me in my 20s (quite a long time ago…) when we were drinking at a pub, and it was great. He also said he makes it at home all the time, and it’s as easy as you can get in the world of cocktails.

Equipment and Ingredients for Irish Coffee

Here’s everything you need to make this Irish coffee:

• Shaker or jar with lid: Adds air to the cream, which makes it easier to float on top of the coffee.
• Strainer: Removes bubbles from shaking the cream.
• Spoon: Floats the cream on top of the coffee.
• Hot water: Use this to preheat the glass.
• 120ml brewed coffee: Choose a strong coffee for this coffee cocktail.
• 30ml whiskey: You can use single malt or blended whiskey for this recipe.
• 10g sugar: This equals to about 1 tablespoon, and it balances out the strong tastes of the other ingredients.
• 30ml whipping cream: Choose a cream with a fat content of about 30%.

The ratio of ingredients in Irish coffee is easy to remember even when you don’t have access to our recipes:

4 parts coffee – 1 part whiskey – 1 part cream – 1 tbsp sugar

What kind of Irish whiskey should you use?

You don’t need to use premium whiskey with Irish coffee, any brand will do. Some people say that the better the whiskey, the better the Irish coffee, but I really don’t taste any difference.

Save the good stuff for drinking straight!

Step-by-step Guide to Making Irish Coffee

Making this coffee cocktail is not complicated at all. Just follow the easy steps below to make an Irish coffee:

1. Preheat the glass.

• Pour hot water into the glass for preheating.
• Set it aside while you’re making coffee.

2. Brew your coffee and transfer it to the glass

• Using your chosen brewer, make 120ml of strong brewed coffee. I make mine with the AeroPress, but you can also use a French press, Moka pot, and pour-over.
• Discard the preheating water then pour the coffee into the empty glass.

3. Pour the sugar and whiskey then stir

• Drop your sugar and pour the whiskey into the coffee.
• Gently stir it to create the base of your Irish coffee.

4. Whip and strain the cream

• Put the whipping cream in your shaker or jar and shake it hard for 15 to 20 seconds.
• Strain the whipped cream to remove the bubbles.

5. Pour the cream over the coffee

• Get a spoon and place it over the glass with the back of the spoon facing upwards.
• Gently pour the cream over the back of the spoon, so that the cream floats on the coffee. Be careful not to sink the cream into the coffee.

What kind of cup should Irish coffee be served in?

Irish Coffee is often served in a Goblet-style glass, or a tall glass latte mug. For this recipe, a glass with a 200 ml capacity is enough. Just remember that Irish coffee is not served with a straw. Drink the coffee through the cream and you’ll even get the Irish coffee mustache after 🙂

Barista Tips for Making Irish Coffee

Now here are some extra tips to make your Irish coffee even better:

• Sprinkle it with nutmeg: Grate some nutmeg over the cream for a touch of sweetness and creaminess to your drink.
• Add Irish cream: If you have access to a cream whipper, you can combine 2oz heavy cream with 1/2oz Irish cream and top it over the coffee and whiskey mixture.
• Swap your sugar: You can also explore substitutes to sugar such as honey or syrups. I like to use Demerara syrup, which I make by dissolving 2 parts Demerara sugar in 1 part water.

Easy Irish Coffee Recipe – Enjoy Caffeine with a Whiskey Kick

This cocktail is easy enough to make whenever you feel like having it.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Coffee Recipes

Servings 1

Calories 154 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 120 ml brewed coffee
• 30 ml Irish whiskey
• 30 ml whipping cream
• 10 mg sugar

Instructions

 

• Preheat the glass and discard the water
• Brew your coffee into the glass.
  120 ml brewed coffee
• Add the sugar and whiskey, and stir.
  10 mg sugar, 30 ml Irish whiskey
• Whip the cream.
  30 ml whipping cream
• Slowly pour the cream over the coffee over the back of a spoon.

Video

Notes

• Demerara syrup is a popular sugar substitute for Irish coffee.
• Add a touch of sweetness to Irish coffee by grating nutmeg on top.

Irish coffee is one of the most well-known coffee cocktails and for good reason. It’s also very easy to make, so let me know how it went for you in the comments below.