Irish coffee recipe

Name: Irish coffee recipe
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 serving(s)
Ingredients: 100 g demerara sugar; 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste; 50 mL Irish whiskey (we used Redbreast); 150 mL hot espresso or strong black coffee; 50 mL double cream; Freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish (optional)

Warm up with this whisky spiked coffee topped with cream

By Melanie GiandziUpdated: 07 March 2023

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An Irish coffee is a classic coffee cocktail which is popular all over the world, and particularly in the lead up to St Patrick's Day. Its roots actually originate from Ireland and the story goes that a bartender at Foynes airport (now Shannon airport) in Ireland, had to find a way to warm up weary passengers who had to turn back from their flight due to bad weather.

The bartender decided that these passengers needed something stronger to warm them up than just a cup of coffee, so decided to add a shot of whiskey and top it with cream for an indulgent spiked coffee concoction.

What’s in an Irish coffee?

Traditional recipes would add brown sugar to a warm, clear-handled glass, top up with fresh black coffee, add a shot of Irish whiskey, and float lightly whipped double cream on top so you have distinct layers between the two.

We’ve gone for a slight upgrade to the traditional recipe by adding a vanilla-demerara simple syrup rather than raw sugar, for a creamier and toffee-like taste. It’s an incredibly easy cocktail to make but getting the cream layer perfect does require a bit of finesse.

An Irish coffee is not to be confused with Baileys, which is a liqueur made with Irish whiskey, cream and cocoa, and almost always served cold, over ice for a sweet treat.

How to drink an Irish coffee

Rule number one is to never stir an Irish coffee. You should be drinking it with the cream layer still distinctively separated so every mouthful is firstly of sweet cream, followed by a boozy, toffee coffee layer.

It's typically enjoyed as a mid-morning or afternoon drink, but some people enjoy an Irish coffee as their morning drink, particularly when on holidays or somewhere really cold.

How to perfect the cream layer on top

To get the perfect consistency in your cream we suggest adding it to a cocktail shaker (or a clean jar with a lid) and shake for about 10-15 seconds to incorporate air into it.

You’ll then need to pour the cream on top of the coffee by using the back of a small teaspoon. Hover the back of a teaspoon just above the coffee layer and gentle pour the cream so it falls gently and floats on top. It should cover the entire surface but if some falls through don’t stress! It will still taste delicious.

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Yields:

1 serving(s)

Cook Time:

10 mins

Total Time:

10 mins

Cal/Serv:

562

Ingredients

For the demerara simple syrup

100 g
demerara sugar
1 tsp.
vanilla bean paste

For the cocktail

50 ml
Irish whiskey (we used Redbreast)
150 ml
hot espresso or strong black coffee
50 ml
double cream
Freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish (optional)

Directions

1. Step 1For the simple syrup: In a small pan heat the sugar, 100ml water and vanilla bean paste over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Step 2Meanwhile; in a cocktail shaker or jar, shake the cream for 10-15 seconds (it should still be a pourable consistency).
3. Step 3In a tall clear glass with a handle, add your whiskey, hot coffee and 50ml of the demerara simple syrup (see GH tip) and mix until combined. Using the back of a spoon, gently pour the whipped cream over the spoon to help it float, ensuring it covers the entire surface of the liquid. Garnish with nutmeg and serve.

GH TIP

Keep the remaining demerara syrup for up to four weeks in an airtight jar or container for any future cocktails (it works particularly well in an espresso martini or an old fashioned).

Per serving

Calories: 562
Protein: 1g
Total fat: 27g
Saturated fat: 17g
Carbs: 51g
Sugar: 51g
Fibre: 0g

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Melanie Giandzi

Senior Food & Drink Writer

Mel is the Senior Food & Drink Writer for Good Housekeeping UK, covering all the delicious new product launches that come her way, writing about food and drink topics, and curating gift guides for the best foodie products to buy. Alongside that, she can be found developing and creating cocktails for GH and holds her WSET Level 2 in Wine and Spirits. She was part of the Good Housekeeping Institute food testing team for over four years before moving over to the digital side, so knows a thing or two about great food products. You'll find her scouring the supermarket shelves in her spare time for new and exciting ingredients to experiment with in her kitchen.

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