Irish Coffee
Irish Coffee
1 oz . Irish whiskey 3 oz . Rich , brewed hot coffee ¼ oz . Brown sugar simple syrup ( or ½ tsp . dry brown sugar ) ½ cup Heavy whipping cream ( must be full fat !)
First , pour the heavy whipping cream into a cocktail shaker or mason jar and shake vigorously for 15 to 20 seconds or until the cream thickens . You ’ ll be able to hear the liquid start to quiet as it thickens up — make sure the shaker or jar lid are secured ! Set aside once the cream has set .
Add the brown sugar or syrup to your glass . Pour in the Irish whiskey . Next add the brewed coffee until there ’ s about 1-½ inches of space left between the liquid contents and glass rim . If using dry brown sugar instead of simple syrup , stir after adding the coffee to dissolve the sugar .
START WITH A SMALLER GLASS . “ The biggest mistake people make is the wrong size glass ,” says Jillian Vose , beverage director and managing partner of Irish bar / cocktail parlour The Dead Rabbit in New York . A 6-oz . stemmed glass is ideal , she says .
USE A LIGHTER-STYLE IRISH WHISKEY . The whiskey may be a matter of personal preference , but you do want a balanced cocktail . Most people use Jameson since it ’ s the best known and widely available ; Bushmills , Tullamore D . E . W ., The Sexton and Slane Irish Whiskey are all good options as well . Vose also recommends Clontarf and Teeling rum cask finish .
BREW HOT , FRESH COFFEE . Choice of coffee is important too ; The Dead Rabbit uses Sumatra coffee . In fact , Slane Irish Whiskey partnered with Oakland , CAbased Red Bay on a limited-edition , custom roast designed to taste like whiskey , with notes of nutmeg , vanilla cream and sweet tobacco .
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How To Make the Perfect Irish Coffee
An Irish Coffee is one of the easiest — and tastiest — cocktails to make . Just add a little sugar , a shot of Irish whiskey , some hot coffee and top with a squirt of canned whipped cream , right ?
Well , many restaurants do make it this way , but a few tweaks to technique , along with fresh , quality ingredients , can elevate the experience and render the real deal . Here are a few tips from some Irish Coffee experts .
BY MELISSA DOWLING
Grab the heavy cream , take a bar or soup spoon , and slowly pour the cream over the back of the spoon to the rim . No need to stir — include both the cream and coffee / whiskey mixture in each sip as you enjoy .
Recipe courtesy of Slane Irish Whiskey .
USE REAL CREAM . No , you shouldn ’ t use canned whipped cream . You want cream with a fat content of 35 % -38 %, Vose explains . A proper Irish coffee should look like a Guiness beer with a creamy head , not like a foofy dessert .
SHAKE IT , DON ’ T BEAT IT . You don ’ t want to overwhip the cream . Vose suggests a protein shaker with a spring , but you can use a cocktail shaker , or even a mason jar . And don ’ t add sugar . Use a rich demerera syrup ( or sugar ) to sweeten the coffee — not the cream .
CHEERS @ HOME • WINTER 2020 | 9