Irish Coffee
Hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar and a floating layer of cold cream — a warming coffee cocktail built around contrast.
By KAVOVOUpdated
Contains alcohol. For adults only.
- Dose
- 10 g
- Yield
- ≈190 ml
- Time
- 8 min
- Vessel
- Heatproof Irish coffee glass, 200–240 ml
Ingredients
- 10 g freshly ground coffee
- 150 g filtered water
- 35 ml Irish whiskey
- 10 g brown sugar
- 30 g cold double cream
Equipment
- Filter coffee brewer
- Compatible filter
- Coffee grinder
- Digital scale
- Kettle
- Timer
- Small whisk or cocktail shaker
- Bar spoon
An Irish coffee is four ingredients held in the right order: sweetened whiskey coffee below, cold cream floating above, and no stirring. You drink the hot through the cold.
Steps
- Preheat the heatproof glass with hot water, then empty and dry it.
- Brew the coffee using 10 g of coffee and 150 g of water.
- Add the brown sugar and Irish whiskey to the warm glass.
- Pour in approximately 120 g of freshly brewed coffee.
- Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Lightly whip the cold cream until it thickens but remains pourable.
- Hold a spoon just above the coffee and slowly pour the cream over its back.
- Serve immediately without stirring the cream into the coffee.
Barista tip
Drink the hot coffee through the cold cream. That temperature and texture contrast is the entire point of the drink.
Troubleshooting
The cream sinks. Whip it slightly more or pour it more slowly over the back of a spoon.
The drink is too sweet. Reduce the sugar, not the whiskey.
The alcohol dominates. Increase the coffee to 130–140 g or reduce the whiskey to 25 ml.
