Traditional Irish Coffee

There are few things I enjoy in life more than a strong, black cup of coffee. I cannot start the day without at least one cup. I am a purist when it comes to coffee; I do not believe in adding milk, cream or sugar in any form, especially in the morning. When it comes to coffee cocktails though, I am an entirely different person.

What is Irish coffee?

The original Irish Coffee, sometimes referred to as "Gaelic Coffee", was created by Joe Sheridan, a chef at Foynes Air base (near Limerick, Ireland) in 1943. One evening, a flight had to turn back to Foynes midway through its journey, and Joe created a coffee and whiskey cocktail to warm up the cold and weary passengers. It quickly became legendary, and was eventually brought to the U.S. by a travel writer, Stanton Delaplane. Delaplane persuaded Jack Koeppler, a bartender at the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco to recreate it. The Buena Vista is still the most famous place to enjoy an Irish coffee in the United States. Dead Rabbit in NYC is a popular east coast outpost, because of its large selection of Irish whiskeys.

I discovered Irish coffee years ago, most likely at one of my favorite Irish pubs in New York City. I am not sure why, but adding good whiskey to coffee takes it to an entirely different place. It truly warms the soul, and it just begs for a large amount of whipped cream. We were thrilled when our friends at Kilbeggan asked us to craft a Traditional Irish Coffee recipe to celebrate "Kilbeggan March": St. Patrick's Day all month long. After the year we've had, a day just wouldn't do.

Ingredients for Irish coffee:

• 1 ½ parts Irish Whiskey
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar syrup (2:1 sugar to water)
• 3 parts dark roast coffee
• ½ cup heavy cream
• grated chocolate, nutmeg, and/or cinnamon

How to make this recipe:

1. Rinse coffee mug with hot water.
2. Add brown sugar syrup
3. Add Kilbeggan® Irish Whiskey
4. Fill mug with freshly brewed coffee
5. Lightly whip heavy cream and pour gently into mug.
6. Garnish with grated chocolate, nutmeg (or your topping of choice)

Kilbeggan Traditional Irish Whiskey is the best for Irish Coffee because of its meticulous blend of the finest malted barley and corn. Its sweet caramel and vanilla flavor blend perfectly with dark roast coffee and fresh whipped cream. Whether you are a coffee snob, a whiskey connoisseur, or just someone who enjoys a good cocktail, this drink is for you. It's especially tasty during the chilly month of March. Even if we can't enjoy this drink at our favorite Irish pub this year, we have mastered the art of making them at home. You can too! Slàinte!

Expert Tips:

• Strong, dark coffee works best: while any coffee will do, we recommend a dark, expresso roast made in a French press for optimum flavor.
• Fresh-brewed and piping hot: fresh, hot coffee is the a must for this drink.
• Use heavy cream or whipping cream: with 35 to 38% milk fat, these creams whip up and float perfectly on top of this coffee cocktail.
• Top it off: traditional Irish coffee is topped with nutmeg, cinnamon, shaved chocolate, or an orange peel.

This post is sponsored by our friends at Kilbeggan. All opinions are our own.

related recipes:

Caramel Eggnog Chata

Festive Empress Fizz

Bacon Bloody Mary

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