Thursday, February 11, 2010

Classic Irish Coffee - The Recipe

With St. Patrick's Day around the corner here is a time tested favorite!

The Ingredients
(as Oscar Wilde would describe them)
Cream as rich as an Irish brogue
Coffee as strong as a friendly hand
Sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue
Whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land

(as a bartender would describe them)
- 35 ml Irish whiskey
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- Freshly brewed coffee, press pot preferred
- Fresh cold whipping cream
- Use a traditional Irish Coffee glass, one with a handle and a short fluted design.

STEP by STEP

Preheat the cup
The traditional Irish Coffee cup is on a thick, short stem, with a handle. Preheat with hot water
Press is best
For the traditional Irish Coffee, you can't beat a freshly pressed pot of coffee. Don't skimp on the quality or preparation!
The Whiskey
Just as you wouldn't want to skimp on the coffee, don't skimp on the whiskey either
- I'm using Jamison's 12 Year for this tasty beverage.
Whip it up
Where a lot of people make a mistake on Irish Whiskey is the cream
- out of a can won't do. The cream has to be just short of stiff - pourable, but extra, extra thick.
Add the Whiskey
Add your whiskey first, after emptying the glass of the hot water. This allows the whiskey to immediately start releasing big aromas.
Pour the Coffee
As quick as you can, pour the coffee to infuse and distribute the whiskey, locking in the melange of flavours both beverages offer.
Add the brown sugar
Add the brown sugar, and stir until fully dissolved. The beverage is hot, and brown sugar melts quickly.
Fold the cream
As the boys in San Fran figured out, the secret to great Irish Coffee is folding the cream onto the beverage via a spoon. Gentle pouring and layering will create a great looking and even better tasting drink.
The finished beverage
The finished Irish Coffee beverage, ready to enjoy and savour.

That's it! Drink the hot coffee and whiskey through the layer of cold cream, as it's meant to be - don't stir! This fine Irish beverage is a must-have recipe for every bartender to have in their book. If you've ever experienced a cold Irish winter, you’ll know why this drink is worth every drop.

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