Irish Coffee

On a cold fall afternoon, there’s nothing better than enjoying an Irish coffee topped with cream. The coffee specialty with the subtle sweetness and a shot of Irish whiskey has a very unique character. It warms you up wonderfully and spreads a special feeling of coziness. Read the best tips here about the delicious hot beverage from the Emerald Isle.

Recipe: How do you make an Irish coffee?

With a good recipe, it's easy to serve a wonderfully aromatic Irish coffee at home. All you need is a few ingredients for the hot beverage:

  • Ground coffee
  • Whiskey
  • Sugar
  • Cream

    Which type of whiskey should you use in an Irish coffee?

    The right whiskey is the heart of a good Irish coffee. It is best to choose an authentic Irish whiskey. Compared to Scottish whiskey, it is much smoother and less smoky or malty in taste. The reason for this is the production process: Irish whiskeys are triple distilled, but Scottish whiskeys are only distilled twice. In Scotland, the whiskey is made with barley dried over a peat fire and with malted barley. This is unusual in Ireland. This particular mildness of Irish whiskey results in the uniquely balanced and round flavor of the Irish coffee. Whiskey varieties that are traditionally used for the Irish coffee are, for example, Clontarf Single Malt or Tullamore Dew. Jameson is also considered a typical Irish coffee whiskey.

    How do you drink an Irish coffee?

    To enjoy an Irish coffee in style, the right drinking glass is very important first off. A typical Irish coffee cup is made of glass. This means you can see the warm interplay of colors from the coffee, whiskey and cap of cream. An elongated glass with a handle or a latte macchiato glass, such as the NewWave latte macchiato glass from Villeroy & Boch, are ideal for an Irish coffee.

    There are three different ways to enjoy an Irish coffee. The interplay between the coffee/whiskey blend and the cream is important.

    1. Traditionally, the Irish coffee is drunk through the cream cap. Every sip of coffee mixes with some freshly melted cream. Connoisseurs choose this option to experience the optimal taste.
    2. You can also enjoy an Irish coffee with a spoon. You fill a little coffee on every spoonful and top it with a little dollop of cream.
    3. Some coffee drinkers prefer stirring the Irish coffee to combine the coffee and cream.

     

    What creative recipes are available for the Irish coffee?

    The Irish coffee has been repeatedly re-invented through its history. It is wonderfully suited for developing new recipes. Try it once - here are some tips and suggestions:

    • Experiment with different types of whiskey and also try it once with a stronger Scottish whiskey.
    • Adorn the cream cap with some caramel sauce, chocolate sprinkles, chopped nuts or a cookie.
    • To sweeten it, use different types of syrup to give the Irish coffee a new freshness.
    • For a “bumblebee” Irish coffee, alternate layering Irish coffee with egg liqueur in a glass.
    • Try the Irish coffee in a spicy version with fresh nutmeg or cardamom on the cream cap.
    • Enjoy the Irish coffee in the summer iced. Use a dollop of vanilla ice cream instead of cream.