An authentic Irish Coffee recipe made with only four basic ingredients: strong coffee, Irish whiskey, demerara sugar, and heavy cream. It’s the perfect after dinner drink!
The Original Alcoholic Coffee
In the past, when I thought of Irish Coffee, images of weak coffee, harsh whiskey, flavorless whipped cream and an underlying taste of a pre-made Irish cream liqueur came flooding into my mind. That’s because every Irish coffee I’ve ever had have all been made wrong!
Well, no more bad Irish coffee for me because I have a recipe that will show you how to make an authentic Irish coffee to enjoy at home, the way St. Paddy intended. It’s so easy to make with only four ingredients that combine to create an absolutely delicious beverage with the utmost creamy drinkability.
How to make Irish coffee
I made a pilgrimage to an authentic Irish bar in Manhattan earlier this year. It was there a bartender, who was as Irish as his brogue, showed me a real Irish coffee recipe.
Here are his best tips for making a true Irish coffee:
- It should be made in a glass, never a mug.
- It should only have four basic ingredients: coffee, Irish whiskey, demerara sugar and heavy cream. Demerara sugar is a wonderful unrefined and raw sugar with a molasses-like flavor and we use it in place of brown sugar at home. It’s available in most grocery stores now, but if you can’t find it, just substitute regular brown sugar.
- The coffee must be fresh brewed and strong. I prefer to brew it using a French press because I think it produces an ideal coffee to use in this recipe. It takes a little more time, but it’s worth it. The Irish whiskey can be whichever brand you prefer.
- The cream topping should always be made with fresh cream, never canned pre-made whipped cream. It is only lightly whipped, so it can be poured as a layer to completely cover the top of the coffee.
Enjoy this Irish Coffee for St Patrick’s Day or as an after-dinner evening drink. Perfect for brunch with this Cranberry Irish French Toast with Whiskey Butter too!
Irish Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Irish whiskey
- 2 teaspoons demerara sugar
- 1 cup strong black coffee
- 1/4 cup fresh cream, lighly whipped
Instructions
- Heat a large glass by pouring hot water into it and swirl it around for about 30 seconds. Pour out the water, then add the Irish whiskey and sugar to the glass. Stir well to combine.
- Add the hot coffee to the glass and stir well again to fully melt the sugar. Slowly pour the cream onto an upside down spoon to float on top of the coffee. Enjoy immediately!
Bhiravi says
I love the cream float on top… It’s gorgeous!
[email protected] says
Thanks so much Bhiravi!
Cheyanne says
I never knew the secret ingredient- Demerara sugar! This coffee looks prefect and very Irish-ie lol. I’m with you, I’d start my day with this. If I never wanted to get anything done. Guess I’ll have to settle for ending my day right, with this Irish Coffee instead! Thanks for sharing can’t wait to try it, with the correct sugar of course!!
[email protected] says
I drank this coffee this weekend and can honesty tell you that I got nothing done for the rest of the day…but it was still a great day! LOL!
Janet says
Irish coffee actually isn’t Irish…like a lot of St. Patty’s “traditions” it’s Irish-American. It was invented at a San Francisco bar called the Buena Vista, but…you have the recipe exactly! This is real Irish Coffee! Just good coffee, sugar, whiskey and cream…cheers!
[email protected] says
Thanks so much for the info, Janet. Before writing this post, I researched the history of Irish coffee and read that it was created and developed at the Port of Foynes in Ireland around 1942. By 1945, the Shannon Airport was opened and continued serving the Irish coffee to travelers (there is a commemorative plaque at the airport documenting the history). The owner of the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco had the coffee at the Shannon airport and he started serving it in the US around 1952. Regardless of the history, I think we can all agree that Irish coffee is the best and mighty tasty, especially on a cold night!