Cocktail· Irish
Irish Coffee
Irish Coffee is a hot cocktail of Irish whiskey, brewed coffee, and brown sugar, served in a warm footed mug and topped with a thick float of lightly whipped cream. It was invented by chef Joe Sheridan at Foynes airbase in Ireland in 1942 to warm a flight of cold passengers. The cream is whipped to a soft float, not stiff peaks; otherwise it sinks into the coffee instead of floating.
Ingredients
- 1.5 oz Irish whiskey
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 4 oz hot brewed coffee
- 1 oz lightly whipped heavy cream
Method
- Warm a footed Irish coffee mug by filling with hot water; discard the water.
- Add brown sugar and a splash of hot coffee; stir to dissolve.
- Add Irish whiskey and fill the mug with hot coffee, leaving about a half-inch of headroom.
- Float lightly whipped cream over the back of a bar spoon so it layers on top.
- Grate fresh nutmeg over the cream.
Garnish
Fresh-grated nutmeg
Pro tip
Whip the cream just until it falls in slow ribbons; over-whipped cream sinks into the coffee instead of floating, and you end up with brown cream rather than a clean two-tone.
From the bar
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