The Irish Coffee: the cup of Joe with an upgrade

A delightful mix of hot coffee, whiskey and sugar, an Irish coffee is sometimes finished with a layer of thick cream, and is the kind of drink we all would quite like to sneakily have in our flasks at work.

 

The history of the Irish coffee is rather contested, with many different people claiming to have played a part in its creation. The most commonly accepted tale is that the owner of a restaurant located near a floating boat terminal in Limerick had some rather bedraggled American passengers walk in one evening. They were cold and tired and asked for a coffee to warm them up, and the restaurant’s proprietor gave them a coffee, with whiskey for added warmth. When they asked him what kind of coffee it was, he replied “Irish coffee”. While no one seems to be able to decide who first took this delightful drink out of Ireland and shared it with the rest of the world, whoever it was, we are certainly glad they did.

 

Nowadays, you can find many variations on this classic drink: we’re talking about whipped cream, spiced rum, white chocolate, or all of the above. For those looking to experiment with this warming wonder, why not try a spiced rum coffee with butterscotch whipped cream? If you’re looking to bring some chocolate into the mix, make yourself an Irish mocha, or put a bit of chocolate whipped cream on top of a normal Irish coffee. For those who want to add a Canadian twist, try adding a spot of maple syrup. There are also variations including orange, mint, lemon and other flavours – truly something to suit any palate. So cuddle up on the sofa, pop on a nice film and enjoy your Irish coffee, made how you like it.

   

For a classic Irish coffee:

 

Main alcohol : whiskey

Ingredients

Preparation