How to Make the Perfect Irish Coffee
What’s the tastiest way for a coffee lover to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
Irish Coffee, of course!
You may have had super-sweet, green-toned coffee drinks before, and while there’s a time and place for every cocktail, a true Irish Coffee doesn’t need Irish Cream liqueur or Crème de Menthe. The original is warm, fortifying, and totally delicious without a ton of added ingredients. First poured at the Shannon Airport in the 1940’s after a transatlantic flight had to return to Ireland because of bad weather. Joe Sheridan, chef and bartender, is credited with calming and fortifying the unnerved passengers by “putting good Irish whiskey in their coffee and topping it with pouring cream.”
Don’t rely on luck to make your St. Paddy’s Day treat—here’s our tried-and-true Irish Coffee recipe.
The Perfect Irish Coffee
1. Pre-heat a glass mug with hot water
2. Add two Demerara sugar cubes (no fewer—it’s a treat, folks!) This strengthens the structure of the coffee so it will hold the cream. Demerara sugar provides a rich, caramelized flavor.
3. Add 4-5 oz strong brewed coffee (Swift River Roaster’s River Rocks (regular or decaf) is our choice). Stir briskly to dissolve the sugar.
4. Top with 1 to 1 ½ oz. Irish whiskey and stir to combine. Tullamore DEW was the original, but Jameson claims a big following, and Bushmill’s is the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. Your choice!
5. Add heavy cream—shaken, not stirred. Pour a heavy measure of cold, unsweetened cream into a blender bottle or Mason jar and shake hard until you feel it thicken but it’s still pourable. This takes just a few seconds.
6. Use the HOT spoon you stirred the drink with, turned upside down and pour the thickened cream slowly over the back of the spoon onto the surface of the coffee.
7. Slainte!
Prefer iced? You’re in luck!
An Irish Icebox
1. Place 8 oz of coarsely ground Swift River Icebox Cold Brew coffee in a filter bag or system.
2. Add one 750 ml bottle of Irish whiskey and steep for 24 hours,
3. Remove the filter bag or system, allowing it to drain naturally, but do not press on the bag.
4. Measure the steeped whiskey, and add an equal amount of water.
5. When ready to drink, combine 2 ¼ oz of the whiskey mixture with 1 ¼ oz simple syrup*, or brown sugar to taste, and stir to mix. Pour over crushed ice and top with whipped or poured cream.
*To make simple syrup at home, combine one cup sugar with one cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve all crystals. Boil for 3-5 minutes, watching to be sure it doesn’t boil over. Remove from heat, cool, store in glass, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Have a safe and delicious St. Patrick’s Day—coffee lover style!