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Home » Food + Drink » Drinks

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day By Starting Your Day With Irish Coffee

By Katie Schindelheim | March 10, 2021 | Updated on March 16, 2022 | Leave a Comment
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Irish Coffee
Irish Coffee - cream added
Irish Coffee

The Irish Coffee is a whiskey and coffee-based drink that has been a staple on cocktail menus since the 1950s.

Ever need a drink that screams “wake me up” and “get me sloshed?” Well, then the Irish Coffee may be the cocktail of your dreams. (Especially if you dream about mixed drinks.)

Irish Coffee

Who Invented the Irish Coffee?

The Irish Coffee was invented in 1943 by chef Joe Sheridan at the Foynes airport in County Limerick, Ireland.

As the story goes, a flight left Foynes for New York late one winter night. But, after battling bad weather for several hours, the pilot returned to the airport to wait out the conditions.

Sheridan and other restaurant staff returned and Sheridan decided to whip up something warm and soothing for the exhausted passengers, and poured some of the good Irish whiskey in their coffee.

According to the Flying Boat Museum, “one passenger approached the chef and thanked him for the wonderful coffee, asking if he used Brazilian coffee. Joe jokingly answered, “No, it was Irish coffee!'”

Irish Coffee - holding in hand

A few years later, the legend of Joe’s spiked Joe made its way to San Francisco to the ears of Jack Koeppler, owner of the Buena Vista Hotel. They kept trying to reproduce it, but couldn’t ever get the cream quite right.

Determined to recreate the drink for his customers, Koeppler tracked down Sheridan and offered him a position at the hotel. The chef shared his recipe in rhyme and then took the job, because poems make terrible recipes.

Cream as rich as an Irish brogue
Coffee as strong as a friendly hand
Sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue
Whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land

Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee Ingredients:

  • 1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
  • 4 ounces hot  coffee
  • 1½ ounces Irish whiskey
  • 1 ounce heavy cream, lightly whipped

 

How to Make an Irish Coffee

1. Add the Irish whiskey.

Irish Coffee - whiskey added

 

2. Pour in coffee.

Irish Coffee - coffee pour

 

3. Stir in the sugar until it’s dissolved.

Irish Coffee - sugar added

 

4. Slowly pour the whipped cream over the back of a spoon to create a float on top.

Irish Coffee - cream added

Irish Coffee - cream added

 

Some Irish Coffee Variations

There are some easy options to change up your Irish Coffee. Here are a few simple variations:

  • Use decaf if you want the fun without the caffeine buzz.
  • Serve it on ice or use cold brew coffee to let out your inner basic.
  • Sprinkle cinnamon or cocoa powder on top.
  • Make it alcohol-free by omitting the whiskey. You may have heard of this last crazy idea before. Those of us in the food world like to call it “a cup of coffee.”

 

How Strong Is It?

Using a typical whiskey as the gauge, the Irish Coffee should come out to roughly 9% ABV (18 proof). It will definitely keep you awake.

Irish Coffee

5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe
A traditional Irish Coffee is made with coffee, whipped cream, sugar, and Irish whiskey.
Irish Coffee
Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 10 mins
Servings: 1 coffee

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 4 oz. hot coffee
  • 1½ oz. Irish whiskey
  • 1 oz. heavy cream (lightly whipped)

Instructions

  • Add Irish whiskey to cup.
  • Pour in hot coffee.
  • Stir in sugar until dissolved.
  • Pour heavy cream over the back of a spoon to create a float.
Nutrition Facts
Irish Coffee
Amount Per Serving (1 cocktail)
Calories 223
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Irish
Keyword: Irish coffee
Author: Katie Schindelheim
Did you make this recipe?Leave a review below, then take a photo and tag @letseatcakeblog on Instagram so we can see it!

Photos by Angela Persicke of Cooking with Wine.

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Katie Schindelheim
Katie Schindelheim
Katie Schindelheim is a contributing writer for Let's Eat Cake, where she covers nail designs, seasonal trends and topics, food news (mostly sweet, but sometimes savory), fancy cocktails, and everything else you need to know about the best alcohol out there. She is also an actress, writer, and stand-up comedian who's appeared onstage at the Comedy Store in Los Angeles, Caroline's on Broadway in New York, and many other venues. 

Katie is a fierce competitor when it comes to trivia and can often be found at bar trivia/pub quiz nights around L.A. She hates losing. Just ask her ex-teammates and ex-friends.

Follow Katie on Instagram and Twitter.
Katie Schindelheim
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