Coffee Classics: Irish Coffee (Ireland)
Irish Coffee was born on a stormy night in the 1940s at Foynes Airbase in western Ireland — a place where weary transatlantic passengers often arrived soaked, shivering, and longing for warmth. Chef Joe Sheridan greeted them with a creation that felt less like a drink and more like a welcome-home embrace: hot coffee sweetened with brown sugar, fortified with Irish whiskey, and crowned with a cool layer of lightly whipped cream.
Passengers asked, “Is this Brazilian coffee?”
Sheridan smiled and replied,
“No… this is Irish coffee.”
The drink travelled the world, but its soul never changed — a promise of warmth, comfort, and hospitality. Irish Coffee embodies Ireland’s spirit: bold yet gentle, strong yet soothing, capable of lifting even the coldest evening into something soft and golden.
Ingredients
1 shot (40 ml) Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon brown sugar
120–150 ml hot brewed coffee
Lightly whipped cream (float)
Equipment Needed
Heatproof Irish coffee glass
Spoon
Whisk (or shaker) for cream
Method
Warm your glass by filling it with hot water; discard the water.
Add brown sugar and hot coffee to the glass.
Stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
Add the whiskey and stir again.
Gently float lightly whipped cream over the back of a spoon so it sits on top.
Sip the coffee through the cream — never stir.
Notes
The cream should be thick enough to float, but soft enough to pour.
Brown sugar adds essential depth and molasses notes.
Best enjoyed on cold evenings, especially near a fire.
