How to make an Irish coffee
Before getting into how to make an Irish coffee let’s see what this beverage is.
What is the Irish Coffee?
Irish coffee is a hot drink, consisting of black coffee with Irish whiskey, whipped cream, and brown sugar. This coffee is said to have been invented in Ireland as a boost for tired travelers in the 1940s. Today, Irish coffee is served in a special mug. It is often consumed as a combination of dessert, coffee, and after-dinner drinks.
How to make an Irish coffee – Ingredients
There are several recipes out there that you can use to make Irish coffee. Usually, there are the same four necessary ingredients, which you can buy at any supermarket and liquor store.
For a glass of Irish Coffee:
Irish whiskey – 1 shot glass (3 cl)
Strong coffee – a large cup of
Fresh cream – 3 tablespoons
Sugar, preferably brown sugar – 2 teaspoons
How do you make Irish Coffee yourself?
You must adhere to some basic principles:
– Use only whiskey, no other alcoholic drinks. Irish whiskey is, of course, preferred, such as Jameson Irish Whiskey.
– The coffee should be piping hot. In principle, coffee from a Senseo machine or something like that is possible. Still, you can make a real authentic Irish Coffee with coffee from a good espresso machine, such as De’Longhi Magnifica.
– Always preheat the mug you will be serving the Irish Coffee in. The best way to do this is to pour hot water into the glass and empty it just before you start preparing your Irish Coffee. In some recipes, the whiskey is also heated. Yet this is isn’t necessary, as long as the coffee is really hot.
– Never beat the cream completely stiff, but keep the cream ‘lobed.’
Preparation method
- Beat the (unsweetened) cream lightly, so that you can still pour the cream later.
- Pour the whiskey into the preheated mug. Add the brown sugar and stir with a long spoon until all the sugar is completely dissolved in the whiskey.
- Then pour the hot coffee into the whiskey-sugar mixture.
- Finally, the cream is added to Irish coffee. This should be done carefully as the cream should float on the coffee.
For more guidance for Irish coffee preparation, you may watch the following YouTube video:
Irish Coffee Mugs
An essential part of your Irish Coffee is the mug in which this delicious coffee is served.
Irish Coffee is usually served in special Irish coffee mugs. In general, Irish coffee mugs are made of thick, heat-resistant glass and have a wide ‘foot.’ The content of the glass can vary slightly per brand but always fluctuates around 24 cl.
The base of the glass can possibly be provided with a small handle, as is the case with the Arc International Irish Coffee Mazagran glasses. There are also glasses for sale where the handle is not attached to the base. But to the glass itself, as with the Banquet Irish Coffee glasses. Whether or not a handle is pleasant when drinking Irish Coffee and if so, whether it should be best placed at the base or the glass, is very personal.
Some brands provide their glasses with graduation, indicative of the sizes of whiskey, coffee, and cream. These glasses may, therefore, be convenient to use, but they do not always look stylish.
Other glass producers opt for a beautiful decoration of the glass, usually containing a Shamrock, the Irish National symbol consisting of a three-leaf clover. An example of such an Irish Coffee glass with decoration is the Arcoroc Touraine Irish Coffee glass.
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What to consider if you want to make the perfect Irish Coffee
Irish coffee is served without a spoon because you are not supposed to stir the cream and coffee together. You should drink the coffee with whiskey through the cream.
There may be a tendency to use spray whipped cream for your Irish Coffee. Well, don’t.
That is easy, but aerosol whipped cream does not float nicely on the coffee but sinks through the coffee and sticks to the glass. The exact essence of Irish Coffee is that the cold cream floats on top of the hot coffee.
Make sure the coffee is hot, and the cream you are using is cold. That is what makes Irish coffee so tasty. The sensation of the contrast between hot and cold. And at the same time, delightful and sweet because of the sugar and pleasantly warming because of the whiskey.
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