How to make the best Irish coffee recipes, fall-ready drinks

The Irish Coffee is a classic drink that’s outlasted any number of trends and movements within the cocktail industry. Better, it’s open to all kinds of interpretation, meaning you can mix up a different version each time you feel in the mood. And since we’re entering the cold time of year, the core ingredients of warm coffee and whiskey are even more appealing.

Of the many great hot cocktails and whiskey cocktails on the menu, the Irish Coffee has a big and deserved following. It’s an old beverage showing no signs of slowing down, originally concocted in Northern Europe to take on the many gray days of the off-season. We love it around St. Patrick’s Day, as well as late in the evening, with decaf plugged into the equation for an ideal nightcap cocktail.

Alicia Perry’s best Irish coffee recipe

This recipe is a dandy, using a delicious coffee liqueur and incorporating the earthy notes of dates.

Ingredients

• 1 part bourbon
• 3/4 part date syrup*
• 3/4 part cold brew
• 3/4 part St George NOLA Coffee Liqueur
• 1/2 part bourbon cream
• 1 part cream

Method

1. Shake all ingredients with ice in tins, strain, and serve over ice in a Collins or tall glass.
2. Garnish with espresso beans.

*Date syrup: Bring 1 1/2 pounds pitted dates, 3 liters of water, 3 liters of demerara sugar, and 2 tablespoons of gum arabic to simmer in a pot. Allow the dates to break down — the syrup will thicken. Let simmer for 10-15 minutes. Pull off the heat and strain out the dates. Let cool.

The Dead Rabbit Irish coffee

(Created by Jack McGarry of The Dead Rabbit)

An immensely popular drink at The Dead Rabbit, this version is all the rage.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey
• 3 1/2 ounces coffee
• 2/3 ounce rich demerara-molasses syrup
• Top with heavy fresh whipped cream

Method

1. Pour the coffee and sugar syrup into an Irish coffee glass, leaving about half an inch of room for cream.
2. Top with whipped cream and garnish with a dusting of grated nutmeg.

Tim Herlihy’s Tullamore D.E.W. Irish coffee

We love how some extra-strong coffee is perfectly offset by cream and whiskey in this version.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 parts Tullamore D.E.W. Original
• 1 1/2 parts strong brewed coffee (Tim’s Pick: any premium dark roast)
• 1/2 part sugar (Tim’s Pick: Demerara Sugar)
• Lightly whipped heavy cream
• Cinnamon or nutmeg

Method

1. Preheat a clear-stemmed glass with very hot water.
2. Add the sugar and brewed coffee and stir well.
3. Once the sugar has melted, stir in the Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey.
4. Gently whip the heavy cream by shaking it in a protein shaker with a blender ball — you want a still somewhat loose, not stiff consistency.
5. Pour the cream over the back of a hot teaspoon to top the drink (and prevent the cream from penetrating the top of the drink).
6. Finally, garnish with grated nutmeg or cinnamon for a spicy finish

The OTT (Over-The-Top) Irish coffee

(Created by Joaquín Simó)

Yep, it’s over the top, but that’s the point so indulge and enjoy this take on the Irish coffee.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey
• 1/4 ounce rich (2:1) demerara syrup
• 5 ounces hot coffee
• 5 drops saline solution (or a tiny pinch kosher salt)
• 3 cardamom pods
• Cream*
• Lightly toasted Little Boo Boo Bakery Knappogue Castle Irish Whiskey Marshmallow for garnish

Method

1. Muddle the cardamom pods in the bottom of a pre-heated Irish coffee glass, add whiskey, Demerara syrup, hot coffee, and saline solution, and stir.
2. Whip the cream with the orange zest, white sugar and Regan’s No. 6 Orange bitters until thickened, but still pourable.
3. Float cream over the top of the drink by pouring gently over the back of a spoon.

*Cream: Mix 5-6 ounces of heavy cream with 2 tablespoons white sugar and 2 dashes Regan’s No. 6 Orange bitters and zest from 1 orange.

The Teeling Whiskey Irish coffee

Blending roasted notes from the coffee and stout syrup with citrus and the caramel qualities of the Irish whiskey, this drink has it all.

Ingredients

• 40 milliliters  Teeling Irish Whiskey Small Batch
• 120 milliliters freshly brewed, robust coffee
• 20 milliliters spiced stout syrup
• Orange zested cream
• Grated nutmeg for garnish

Method

1. Preheat glass with some warm water and discard, add the Teeling Whiskey, stout syrup, and brewed coffee, and stir to combine.
2. Warm a large spoon and gently pour the cream over the back of the spoon and onto the coffee.
3. Garnish with a light dusting of grated nutmeg and enjoy with friends!

Origins of the Irish coffee

The Irish Coffee first originated in 1943 by Joe Sheridan, chef at Foynes Port near Limerick, Ireland. At the time, this was one of the largest civilian airports in Europe through WWII. One evening, a flight had to return to the Foynes Air Base midway through the journey, and Chef Joe Sheridan started getting crafty. He felt for the delayed and cold passengers who were inconvenienced by the airport mishap.

As a result, he decided to whip up something unique and special for the passengers. Here, the Irish Coffee was born. Joe’s recipe encompassed four main ingredients: cream, coffee, sugar, and whiskey. His recipe notes:

Cream – Rich as an Irish Brogue
Coffee – Strong as a Friendly Hand
Sugar – Sweet as the tongue of a Rogue
Whiskey – Smooth as the Wit of the Land

After the huge success of Irish coffee, it continued to grow in popularity around 1952. Irish coffee was introduced to the U.S. by a travel writer, who brought it to the attention of a bartender working at a hotel in San Fransisco. From here, Jack Koeppler recreated the drink at the Buena Vista Hotel in San Francisco. Despite his great efforts, the drink didn’t turn out quite the same, inspiring him to reach out to the original creator, Joe Sheridan, to learn how to make Irish coffee properly.

Discovering the best Irish coffee recipe

When in situations like this, we turn to the pros like Alicia Perry, the beverage director of Consortium Holdings. She’s offered us pro tips on making all kinds of cocktails. When it comes to the Irish Coffee, Perry is a big fan.

“I have always personally loved Irish coffees, especially being an avid coffee drinker,” Perry admitted. “When I think of an Irish coffee, I can’t help but to reminisce about my first experience at Buena Vista in San Francisco. During a given visit I can’t help but to enjoy two-to-three before venturing off back into the city.”

Perry gets creative with her riff, straying from tradition a bit (who says it has to be hot?) but more than making up for it with tons of complementary flavors. “In my efforts to emulate the Irish coffee during the holiday season, I had to come to terms with the fact that hot coffee was not readily available at my bar,” she said. Instead, she plugs in cold brew and a tantalizing liqueur.

“St George Nola Coffee Liqueur is by far my favorite, it highlights Ethiopian coffee beans and Madagascar vanilla,” she continued.  “Alongside the St. George, Buffalo Trace’s Bourbon cream is just ridiculously decadent and delicious. The duo creates this marriage of flavors that only pointed me in one direction, bourbon.”

The finishing touch? Well, that goes to the inventive syrup called into action. “In terms of the date syrup, it is a recipe that I have always had in my back pocket, awaiting the right cocktail,” she said. 

What makes the best Irish coffee recipe

Jillian Vose, owner of Hazel & Apple, author, and beverage and spirits consultant, who has worked at NYC venues like The Dead Rabbit and Death & Company, believes it’s all about presentation, balance, and subtlety. “When an Irish coffee is done the right way, it’s a blissful balance of hot and cold and bitter and sweet with neither element outshining another,” Vose said. “I personally love when an Irish coffee has the right consistency of cream on top. It’s thick enough to sit on top of the liquid, but not so thick it’s hard to drink.”