Comfort in a Cup
An Irish Favorite for Chilly Days…
Irish coffee was created in the 1940s by Joe Sheridan, a chef and bartender at an airbase restaurant in Ireland. Faced with cold, tired travelers arriving late at night, Sheridan added Irish whiskey and brown sugar to hot coffee, then topped it with lightly whipped cream. The result was both comforting and invigorating. When asked if it was Brazilian coffee, Sheridan famously replied, “No—that’s Irish coffee.” The drink quickly became a beloved classic, known for its warmth, simplicity and unmistakable Irish charm.
Classic Irish Coffee Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee
- 1½ oz Irish whiskey
- 1–2 teaspoons brown sugar, to taste
- Lightly whipped heavy cream
Instructions
Step 1: Warm a heatproof glass with hot water, then discard.
Step 2: Add brown sugar and hot coffee, stirring until sugar dissolves.
Step 3: Stir in Irish whiskey.
Step 4: Gently float lightly whipped cream over the back of a spoon on top of the coffee.
Step 5: Serve without stirring — sip the coffee through the cream.
Tip: The cream should be softly whipped, not stiff, so it floats properly.
