Classic Irish Coffee
The first sip of this Classic Irish Coffee will have you hooked! This traditional Irish coffee recipe combines extra strong coffee, brown sugar, and Irish whiskey, then is topped with a layer of gently whipped cream. This simple 4 ingredient recipe is so easy and takes only a few minutes to make. Its smooth and slightly sweet flavor makes it the perfect after dinner drink on Saint Patrick’s Day or anytime of year!
This cozy drink can be made keto and vegan, too! To learn how to make this delicious after dinner cocktail recipe, see the printable recipe card below. Take a look at the recipe video, or get Step by Step Instructions for a more detailed explanation of this recipe. For other recipe variations including keto and vegan, visit the Pimp My Recipe section in this recipe’s Blog Comments & Tips.
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RECIPE
(Check out our Step by Step Instructions below the recipe card.)
CLASSIC IRISH COFFEE
Ingredients
Instructions
- Measure cream in a narrow measuring cup. Using a handheld milk frother, whip the cream for about 15 to 25 seconds until slightly thickened, but still pourable (see Note #2), and set aside.
- Pour very hot coffee into a large glass coffee mug (15 ounce). Add brown sugar, and Irish whiskey, and stir until sugar is dissolved.
- Add about 3 inches of boiling water to a small jar or another mug. Dip a soup spoon into the water, then shake off excess water (do not wipe off). Holding the hot wet spoon directly over the coffee, slowly pour the gently whipped cream over the spoon to float the cream on top of the coffee. Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Notes
- For a rich dark roast coffee, I highly recommend using Kicking Horse Coffee “Kick Ass” dark roast whole coffee beans. If you prefer decaffeinated coffee, Kicking Horse Coffee dark roast decaf Swiss water process whole coffee beans, is another wonderful option. Kicking Horse Coffee also has dark roast ground coffee available.
- Whip the cream until it has thickened and is a bit frothy, but still pourable. You want the cream to have just enough body to sit on top of the coffee as another layer, but not so thick that it would be stiff or have peaks.
- Makes one 14 ounce serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
346.96Fat (grams)
20.52 gSat. Fat (grams)
13.04 gCarbs (grams)
13.42 gFiber (grams)
0 gNet carbs
13.42 gSugar (grams)
13.34 gProtein (grams)
1.89 gSodium (milligrams)
23.21 mgCholesterol (grams)
64.07 mgNutritional information provided is strictly an estimate and will vary based on ingredient brands and cooking methods.
Step by Step Instructions
PREPARATION
Organize all your tools and ingredients before you begin. Getting all your ingredients in one place at the beginning will shorten your prep time.
STEP 1
Measure 2 ounces heavy whipping cream in a narrow measuring cup. Using a handheld milk frother, whip the cream for about 15 to 25 seconds until slightly thickened, but still pourable (see Note below). Set aside.
Note: Whip the cream until it has thickened and is a bit frothy, but still pourable. You want the cream to have just enough body to sit on top of the coffee as another layer, but not so thick that it would be stiff or have peaks, or too thin that it sinks.
STEP 2
Pour 8 ounces extra strong very hot coffee (see Note below) into a large glass coffee mug (15 ounce). Add 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar, and 1 ½ ounces Irish whiskey, and stir until sugar is dissolved.
Note: For a rich dark roast coffee, I highly recommend using Kicking Horse Coffee “Kick Ass” dark roast whole coffee beans. If you prefer decaffeinated coffee, Kicking Horse Coffee dark roast decaf Swiss water process whole coffee beans, is another wonderful option. Kicking Horse Coffee also has dark roast ground coffee available.
STEP 3
Add about 3 inches of boiling water to a small jar or another mug. Dip a soup spoon into the water, then shake off excess water (do not wipe off). Holding the hot wet spoon directly over the coffee, slowly pour the gently whipped cream over the spoon to float the cream on top of the coffee.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Serve immediately, and enjoy!
Notes:
Be sure to freshly brew your coffee so it’s nice and strong and without bitterness.
Makes one 14 ounce serving.
VIDEO
How to Make a Classic Irish Coffee!
Blog Comments & Tips
A smooth & well balanced coffee drink!
This Classic Irish Coffee recipe is as authentic as you can get. This traditional Irish coffee recipe combines extra strong coffee, brown sugar, and Irish whiskey, then is topped with a layer of gently whipped cream. This simple 4 ingredient recipe literally takes only a few minutes to make. The perfect after dinner drink for Saint Patrick’s Day or anytime of year!
This recipe’s smooth and slightly sweet flavor comes from two main ingredients, Irish whiskey and brown sugar.
Let’s start with the Irish whiskey. Jameson Irish whiskey might be the automatic choice for many around the world. It’s certainly known as the most popular Irish whiskey in the US. However, I find Jameson too sharp and aggressive on its own, which would not have been a good choice for this boozy coffee recipe. I recently tried Bushmills Irish whiskey, and was pleasantly surprised by its smoothness. I found it to be a wonderful pairing with all the other ingredients, resulting in an Irish coffee that was perfectly balanced and enjoyable to drink.
You might be wondering why I didn’t use white sugar? The bartender that developed this drink used brown sugar, which has a richer flavor that pairs well with strong coffee. The story goes that the original recipe was developed by an airport bartender in Ireland during the 1950s as a hot drink that was served to travelers upon arriving in Ireland after a long flight. A brilliant idea!! Who wouldn’t want a nice spiked cup of hot coffee to warm them up after a long flight?!
Not all Irish coffees are alike, and this recipe was adapted from the Irish coffee served at the famous Dublin InterContinental Hotel (formerly Dublin Four Seasons). I’ve done my best to replicate this authentic Irish coffee recipe and think I’ve gotten as close to the original as possible (minus their special glass that was designed for this drink)!
Aside from the brown sugar and smooth Irish whiskey, the key to this drink is how the cream is whipped and then floated in the glass. So many recipes whip the cream into soft or stiff peaks, and then you end up “chewing” your cream…not a great experience. The Dublin bar barely whips the cream so it’s super thick, a little frothy, but still pourable. In my opinion that’s the best consistency, as both the coffee and cream gently flow into your mouth with each sip. There is no need to stir it, because you get a little of each in every sip!
How do you ensure the best results from this recipe?
My 5 tips to the perfect Classic Irish Coffee:
High quality ingredients. Start with a really strong dark roast coffee that is freshly brewed. Although Bushmills Irish whiskey is an economical choice, it’s smooth and delicious in this coffee recipe. But if you are a Jameson Irish whiskey fan, then by all means use it!
Use a freshly brewed dark roast coffee. I recommend using Kicking Horse Coffee “Kick Ass” dark roast whole coffee beans. If you prefer decaffeinated coffee, Kicking Horse Coffee dark roast decaf Swiss water process whole coffee beans is another wonderful option. Kicking Horse Coffee also has dark roast ground coffee available.
Use light brown sugar, not white granulated sugar, then stir until it’s dissolved.
Use a handheld milk frother to whip the cream. You want to barely whip the cream so it becomes thickened, a little frothy, but still pourable. It should be thick enough to float on top of the coffee, but not so thick that it holds its shape, and not too thin that it sinks into the coffee. And, do not sweeten the cream.
Dipping a regular soup into boiling hot water will help the cream easily slide off the spoon and allow it to float on top of the coffee (instead of sinking into the coffee). By whipping the cream to a pourable consistency, and floating it on top of the coffee, there is no need to stir. You’ll get a little of both in every sip!
Have any dietary preferences that won’t quite work with this recipe? It’s time to customize and Pimp My Recipe.
Pimp My Recipe:
Make it Sweeter: If you like your Irish coffee REALLY sweet, just increase the quantity of brown sugar to 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons of packed light brown sugar. Although I don’t really recommend sweetening your cream (that is, if you’ve already increased the sweetness of your coffee), you can opt to do this. Just add 1 or two pinches of powdered sugar to the cream before whipping.
Make it Keto: Replace the light brown sugar with your favorite 1:1 brown sugar substitute, like Truvia Sweet Complete brown sugar replacement.
Make it Vegan: Replace the dairy whipping cream with coconut cream, like Let’s Do…Organic heavy coconut cream. It won’t have the same taste or texture, but the coconut cream will add an interesting flavor to the drink.
Enjoy and let me know what you think by commenting below, rating my recipes, subscribing, following, and liking Prep My Recipe on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok! Don’t forget to subscribe to get updates on new recipes and tips & tricks.
Santé!
Mich
Footnote: Remember to dip your spoon in boiling hot water to heat it up. That will help the cream slide off onto the top layer of the coffee.
Adapted from the Irish coffee served at the famous Dublin InterContinental Hotel (formerly Dublin Four Seasons), I’ve done my best to replicate this authentic Irish coffee recipe and think I’ve gotten as close to the original as possible (minus their special glass)!
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