Classic Irish Coffee

What You’ll Need

Irish coffee is a cocktail of warm coffee, a shot of Irish whiskey, and fresh cream or whipped cream. The modern version was invented in the 1950’s in Ireland. However, several spiked coffee predecessors existed in early 19th-century Austria and France, and later in Cuba and Latin America.

Spiked coffee, known as carajillo in Spain and Latin America, comes in many variations on the theme. The ingredients for a classic Irish coffee are:

• 6 oz warm coffee
• 1 ½ oz Irish whiskey, like Jameson or other brands
• 1 teaspoon brown or white sugar
• Heavy cream, lightly whipped

How to Make Irish Coffee

Making an Irish coffee is more than just pouring whiskey into a cup of joe. Here’s an overview of the process, then keep reading for specifics on each step (or jump right to the recipe!).

1. Make the coffee, using your favorite method.
2. Make the homemade whipped cream, making sure to whip to soft peaks.
3. Add the coffee to a glass or Irish coffee mug, leaving about an inch at the top for cream. Stir in the sugar and whiskey until the sugar dissolves.
4. Gently float the whipped cream on top using the back of a spoon. 

Best Coffee to Use

A cup of fresh-brewed, hot coffee is best for Irish coffee. There are several types of coffee and ways to make coffee that work for this drink:

• Dark roast coffee: This is most traditional for an Irish coffee, so the coffee’s bitter notes shine through. Make it up in your standard coffee pot, a French press, an Aeropress, or a Moka Pot.
• Medium roast coffee: Another option is using a single-origin medium roast coffee and making it using a pour-over method in a Chemex coffee maker.
• Espresso (Americano): Can you use espresso for Irish coffee? Some people claim an Americano makes for the best Irish coffee because it yields an intense, rich coffee flavor.
• Decaf: You can use decaf coffee for Irish coffee for less of a buzz.

Jameson Irish Whiskey vs Other Brands

Jameson whiskey is the easiest to find and most popular Irish whiskey, and it’s what you’ll most often find in an Irish coffee. You can use other great brands of Irish whiskey as well, as this category has heated up in recent years.

• Jameson Irish whiskey has a unique flavor compared to other types of whiskey. It’s light and fruity, with a lightly floral scent and hints of nutty and vanilla tones. The finish is smooth and mellow, compared to the spicier finish of bourbon or rye whiskey.
• Other popular brands of Irish whiskey are Redbreast, Spot, Knappogue Castle, Hyde, West Cork, Teeling, and Powers. (Here’s a review of 15 Irish whiskeys.)
• A substitute for Irish whiskey in coffee is bourbon, but then I’d suggest calling it a Bourbon Coffee instead.
• Try Jameson in other Irish whiskey cocktails like an Irish Sour, Irish Maid, and an Irish Mule.

Tips for Homemade Whipped Cream

It’s important to use homemade whipped cream in an Irish coffee! Avoid using Reddi-Whip or Cool Whip in this coffee cocktail. A great Irish coffee recipe demands homemade whipped cream. For a dairy-free or vegan variation, use Dairy Free Whipped Cream. Here are a few tips for the drink:

• Use the freshest cream you can. Fresh cream whips best and achieves the best texture. Cream closer to its expiration date comes out dense and chunky when it’s whipped.
• Lightly sweeten the cream with a hint of powdered sugar, or whip it straight up. The Irish coffee has enough sweetness to carry the drink.
• Whip the cream to soft peaks. This makes just the right soft texture for topping a drink; hard peaks make it too fluffy and buoyant.
• Float it on top using the back of a spoon. This helps you gently place the cream on top of the drink.

Serve It in an Irish Coffee Mug

You can serve your Irish coffee in whatever glass you like, but it’s most fun to drink it in an Irish coffee mug! Here are the Irish coffee mugs I recommend; they’re sleek and the exact right size for this drink recipe. You can also use them for all of the variations below.

More Spiked Coffee Drinks to Try

• Amaretto Coffee
• Kahlua Coffee
• Baileys Coffee
• Carajillo
• Spanish Coffee
• Mexican Coffee