Irish Coffee - Recipe - Tasty Morsels (2024)

To be honest, I’ve always had my suspicions as to the origin of this drink, not because the Irish wouldn’t put whiskey in their coffee, they’d put it in their soup given half a chance, but because I feel they’d see the addition of cream as a bit ‘la-dee-da.’ As it turns out, an Irishman did if fact invent the famous tipple, adding the flamboyant touch to indulge weary Americans as they disembarked from their arduous transatlantic flights. In fact, the American’s liked it so much, they went to great lengths to replicate the beverage, and effectively helped it live on in the annuls of co*cktail infamy. So, without further ado, let’s add a spot of whiskey to everyone’s favourite breakfast drink with the Tasty Morsels version of the Good old Irish Coffee.

Irish Coffee – The Fundamentals

The Whiskey – An absolutely vital component of this famous drink, whiskey will form the backbone and powerhouse of the Irish Coffee. As a result, drinkers must select a smooth and palatable bottle of booze, and above all, it must come from Ireland. For this drink, I usually opt for good old reliable Jameson Original, however, the flagship whiskeys from Tullamore Dew (used in the first Irish Coffees), Bushmills, and Teeling will also all work wonders.

Coffee – It’s no use turning to an instant coffee when making this beautiful drink, that would be like putting ketchup on your caviar. Instead, this requires a freshly brewed mug of the black stuff, however, how you make it comes down to the equipment available. This means that a coffee machine, French Press, or on the hob espresso pot will all work fine, as long as the coffee comes good and strong, and black as night night.

Cream – Basically, thanks to the laws of gravity and thermodynamics, cold cream will sink in hot coffee. Some folks get around this by whipping sugar and extra air into it to make it float, however, this method will impede on the flavour and texture of the drink. Instead, I like to warm the cream to make it float and whip it lightly to get the desired consistency, where every sip will involve the perfect mix of cream, coffee, and whiskey. This, however, comes with a small warning, warm cream won’t whip, so the Irish Coffee enthusiast must whip it lightly when still cold, before heating it up.

Try Your Luck with an Alternative Booze

In order to maintain its Irish credentials, the drink must use an Irish Whiskey. That said, however, folks are more than welcome to add something else, and call by a different name. With that in mind, dark rum, brandy, amaretto, and Kahlua will all find themselves quite at home in a mug of coffee with cream on top.

You know what goes great with an Irish Coffee? Chocolate Cake, have a go at this decadent recipe if you feel up to it!