Irish Coffee cocktail in an Irish coffee glass — Hot coffee

Irish Coffee Cocktail Recipe

warm caffeinated creamy

irish whiskey, hot coffee, demerara sugar, heavy cream

History

Irish Coffee was invented in the winter of 1943 by chef Joe Sheridan at the flying-boat terminal in Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland. When a delayed transatlantic flight returned in foul weather, Sheridan mixed hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, then floated cream on top to warm the chilled passengers. When asked if it was Brazilian coffee, he replied, “No—Irish coffee.” The drink was later popularized in the United States at San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe in the early 1950s. The cream float is the home-bar test: whip it only to ribbon stage so it rests on the coffee. If Irish whiskey and coffee are already in the pantry, this is the hot drink to mix before you buy a bottle of Baileys. If you came looking for a hot toddy — whiskey, hot water, honey, and lemon — that home-bar pour lives on the whiskey cocktails hub. Irish Coffee is the hot whiskey drink we publish now.

Ingredients

irish whiskey 1.5 oz

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hot coffee 6 oz

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demerara sugar 2 tsp

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heavy cream 1 oz (lightly whipped)

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Missing a bottle? Stock your pantry to see what else you can mix.

How to make

Warm an Irish coffee glass or mug with hot water, then dump it so the drink stays hot.
Add 2 tsp demerara sugar and 1½ oz Irish whiskey, then 6 oz hot coffee, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
White sugar from the pantry works; demerara tastes like the Buena Vista pour.
Lightly whip 1 oz heavy cream until it just ribbons — still pourable, not stiff peaks.
Float the cream over the back of a spoon so it sits on the coffee instead of mixing in.
Do not stir after the cream is on.
Drink the coffee through the cream.
No garnish.

Glassware

Irish coffee glass

Heat-safe glass with a handle for hot coffee drinks topped with cream.

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Irish Coffee FAQ

How do you float the cream on an Irish Coffee?

Lightly whip 1 oz heavy cream until it just ribbons, then pour it over the back of a spoon onto hot coffee mixed with Irish whiskey and demerara sugar. Drink the coffee through the cream; do not stir.

Is Irish Coffee a hot toddy?

No. Irish Coffee is Irish whiskey, hot coffee, demerara sugar, and a cream float. A hot toddy is whiskey, hot water, honey or sugar, and lemon. Home-bar toddy guidance lives on the whiskey cocktails hub. Irish Coffee is the hot whiskey drink we publish now.

What ingredients are in an Irish Coffee?

An Irish Coffee is made with irish whiskey, hot coffee, demerara sugar, and heavy cream. Amounts and pantry matching are in the ingredients list on this page.

How do you make an Irish Coffee?

Warm an Irish coffee glass or mug with hot water, then dump it so the drink stays hot. Add 2 tsp demerara sugar and 1½ oz Irish whiskey, then 6 oz hot coffee, and stir until the sugar dissolves. White sugar from the pantry works; demerara tastes like the Buena Vista pour. Lightly whip 1 oz heavy cream until it just ribbons — still pourable, not stiff peaks. Float the cream over the back of a spoon so it sits on the coffee instead of mixing in. Do not stir after the cream is on. Drink the coffee through the cream. No garnish.