Get the taste of a perfectly balanced coffee and whiskey with a classic Irish Coffee or some fun variations of the iconic drink.
The tradition to add a splash of booze to a hot coffee is going back a long time. And without question, the first time coffee was elevated by a splash of rum, brandy, or whatever other spirit was to hand, happened well before Irish Coffee was born.
Still, this classic drink from the green island remains one of the best-known, easy-to-make, and most popular spiked coffees.
Irish Coffee is perfect for a chilli day, but you can easily enjoy during any other time of the year.
The story behind Irish Coffee
It was a particularly cold night in 1943 at County Limerick Foynes Port airbase where a group of passengers became stranded due to the storm forcing their flight to the U.S. to return to the airbase. To keep the group warm and entertained, airbase chef Joe Sheridan decided to prepare a special drink. So, he made coffee and added – what else – Irish whiskey and a dollop of heavy cream.
Legend has it that one of the passengers asked the chef if the coffee was Brazilian, but was told by Sheridan it was ‘Irish Coffee’.
Nearly ten years later travel writer Stanton Delaplane from the San Francisco Chronicle – who travelling through Foynes during one of his travels – wanted to recreate the drink at home. To get the recipe right, he asked the owner of the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco to help with the recipe. However, it needed a trip back to Ireland by Buena Vista owner Jack Koeppler to perfect the recipe.
Once back in San Francisco, he started to sell it at his café where it became quickly popular and indeed became an icon. It is still sold at Buena Vista into the thousands today.
How to make a classic Irish Coffee
The classic Irish Coffee is made of four ingredients: freshly brewed coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and whipped cream.
180 ml freshly brewed hot coffee
45 ml Irish Whiskey
2 sugar cubes
lightly whipped cream to top off
Pour coffee in a heat-resistant glass, then add the sugar cubes and stir until fully dissolved. Pour in whiskey and stir.
Top with whipped cream.
5 delicious variations of the Irish Coffee
If you love Irish Coffee but are not bothered to move away from the classic recipe, below are five alternative ‘Irish Coffee’ drinks you should definitely give a try.
So, dust off your coffee maker, brew a big pot of hot steaming coffee, and get going.
Baileys Irish Coffee
When it comes to variations of the classic Irish Coffee, the Baileys Irish Coffee is perhaps the most classic of all variations.
The drink closely follows the original recipe but substitutes the sugar with a generous dose of Baileys.
180 ml freshly brewed hot coffee
50 ml Baileys
30 ml Irish Whiskey
lightly whipped cream to top off
Pour coffee in a heat-resistant glass then add Baileys and whiskey. Stir to combine and top off with the whipped cream.
Irish Chocolate
Following the original idea adding whiskey to a hot drink, this variation substitutes the coffee with hot chocolate while adding another Irish classic, the Guinness.
Serves 1
200 ml milk
70 ml Guinness
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
½ tablespoon maple sirup (alternatively honey)
25 ml Irish whiskey
In a small saucepan, bring Guinness to boil over medium heat. Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes. Skim off the foam with a ladle.
In a bowl, mix cocoa powder and syrup until smooth. Stir in the Guinness.
In the meantime, heat milk over medium heat. Stir in the Guinness-cocoa mix. Take from the heat.
Add whisky and using a handheld blender, mix shortly than pour into a cup or heat-resistant glass.
Rüdesheimer Coffee
The German version of Irish Coffee is one that’s stuck in my head due to a particular trip to the very town of Rüdesheim in the beautiful Rhine Valley.
I don’t want to bore you with a private story of many years ago, but let me just say, it involved a team bonding business trip with a group of colleagues, a ship tour on the Rhine River, and the skipper offering our group several rounds of Rüdesheimer Coffee …
Invented in 1957 by German television chef Hans Karl Adam, the drink clearly takes inspiration from Irish Coffee.
The drink is made with iconic German Asbach Uralt brandy, one of the best-know German spirits.
While it does not impact the taste, an authentic Rüdesheimer Coffee is served in a special coffee cup originating from the town of Rüdesheim.
Serves 1
3 sugar cubs
200 ml freshly brewed hot coffee
45 ml Asbach Uralt brandy, alternatively a different brandy
lightly whipped cream
chocolate shavings
Place the sugar cubes into the cup.
Heat the brandy for 30 seconds in the microwave, then pour over the sugar.
Using a long match or igniter, flambee the brandy in the cup. The flame should extinguish after about one minute. If it does not, put a plate on top of the cup.
Stir the brandy-sugar mix and pour over the coffee.
Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.
Irish Mocha Latte
A fun twist of the original recipe, the drink replaces coffee with a strong shot of espresso and hot cocoa.
Serve 1
30 ml strong freshly brewed espresso
150 ml hot milk
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
45 ml Irish Whiskey
lightly whipped cream
Add espresso, milk and cocoa powder to a heat-resistant glass. Stir to combine. Add whisky and stir again.
Top off with whipped cream.
Irish Coffee Martini
Talking of exciting variations, there needs to be a cocktail-style drink in the mix too.
Serves 1
30 ml coffee liqueur
30 ml Baileys
30 ml espresso, chilled
60 ml Irish Whiskey
Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker over ice. Shake vigorously then strain into a Martini class.
Garnish with 2 coffee beans.
Enjoy.
Carrots and Tigers 