Irish Coffee is a hot coffee drink that bears a striking resemblance to a mug of freshly poured Guinness because of the way it layers whiskey-spiked coffee and cream. The drink was invented (as best anyone can say, anyway) by the head chef at Foynes, a now-defunct (replaced by Shannon Airport) in Western Ireland sometime in the 1940s. It was a hit with travelers and was eventually brought to the US by a travel writer working for the San Francisco Chronicle, who pushed it down the road to popularity by getting it on the menu at the Buena Vista bar.
The drink consists of lightly sweetened coffee with a head of whipped cream. The coffee must be sweetened with a bit of sugar to allow the cream to float neatly on top. It is traditionally served in a special Irish coffee mug, like the one pictured, but any glass that allows you to see the layering should do.
Read on for the recipe:
This recipe comes straight from Bushmills master distiller, Colum Egan - hence the brand name in the title. If you have a favorite brand of Whiskey, go ahead and use it instead!
Bushmills Irish Coffee
1 measure of Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey
2 teaspoons sugar
strong black coffee
Heavy whipping cream, slightly whipped to thicken
Warm a glass by filling it with boiling water and letting it sit for a minute. Dump out water.
Add measure of Bushmills Irish Whiskey, starting with an ounce or so and adding more if you feel you need a bigger measure. Stir in sugar and add black coffee until 3/4 full. Top with cream by pouring it gently over the back of a spoon to create a layered effect.
Sip and enjoy.
Serves 1.
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