There’s a lot to love about an Irish coffee – and it takes all of five minutes to make at home.

Here’s how to make one properly, along with the story of where it came from, and how to choose a coffee that tastes good under all that whiskey and cream.

Key takeaways

• An Irish coffee is a warm cocktail of hot coffee and Irish whiskey, sweetened with sugar and topped with lightly whipped cream.
• You only need four ingredients and about five minutes.
• Two steps make or break it – warm your glass first, and float the cream gently over the back of a spoon so it sits on top rather than sinking.
• Reach for a fruity, floral coffee. It cuts through the cream and whiskey, where a heavy dark roast can turn bitter.

How to make an Irish coffee

This recipe makes a single serving, so scale it up for more.

• Serves: 1
• Prep time: 5 minutes
• Total time: 10 minutes

What you’ll need

• A V60 or your usual brewer.
• A heatproof glass or mug.
• A teaspoon.

Ingredients

• 200ml freshly brewed Pact coffee.
• 35ml Irish whiskey (a generous single measure).
• 1–2 tsp brown sugar, such as Demerara.
• 50ml double cream, lightly whipped.

Method

1. Warm your glass with hot water, then tip it out. A warm glass keeps the drink hot for longer.
2. Brew 200ml of coffee using your V60.
3. Pour the hot coffee into the warm glass, add the sugar and whiskey, and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
4. Whip the cream lightly so it’s thick but still pourable, then float it over the back of a spoon so it settles on top.
5. Serve straight away and drink it through the cream – don’t stir it in.

How to make the perfect Irish coffee

The difference between a good Irish coffee and a great one comes down to heat and the cream. Get those right and the rest looks after itself. A few things worth knowing:

• Warm the glass. Hot coffee poured into a cold glass loses its heat fast, and an Irish coffee is meant to be sipped slowly.
• Whip the cream, but only just. You want it thick enough to float but loose enough to pour. Over-whipped cream sits in a stiff lump; under-whipped cream sinks straight through.
• Dissolve the sugar first. Stir it into the hot coffee and whiskey before the cream goes on, or you’ll get a gritty last mouthful.
• Use hot, fresh coffee. Weak or lukewarm coffee gets lost under the whiskey and cream, so brew it strong and use it straight away.

Where does Irish coffee come from?

The Irish coffee as we know it is credited to Joe Sheridan. In the 1940s, Sheridan was head chef at a restaurant in Foynes Port, near Limerick, then a busy airbase for transatlantic flights.

On the west coast of Ireland, it was often a bit cold, so Sheridan warmed up the welcome by serving passengers hot coffee with whiskey and cream.

Legend has it that an American took a sip and asked whether the coffee was Brazilian. ‘No,’ Sheridan replied, ‘that’s Irish coffee.’

His creation might have stayed in Foynes if it weren’t for a travel writer named Stanton Delaplane, who sampled it during a stopover.

Back in the US, he mentioned it to his friend Jack Koeppler, owner of the Buena Vista café in San Francisco. The pair tried at length to recreate the drink and couldn’t quite manage it, so Koeppler flew to Foynes to learn the secret from Sheridan himself.

Sheridan later moved to San Francisco, and the Buena Vista has been serving Irish coffee ever since.

What whiskey is best for an Irish coffee?

An Irish coffee is made with Irish whiskey – that’s what gives it its name and its smooth, gently sweet character. A blended Irish whiskey works perfectly well here, so there’s no need to reach for anything expensive. The heat, sugar and cream soften the sharper edges, so the whiskey just needs to be one you enjoy the taste of.

One small thing worth knowing – Irish and American whiskey are spelled with an ‘e’, while Scotch and most other whisky drop it. For a traditional Irish coffee, stick with the Irish stuff.

When is the best time to drink an Irish coffee?

Traditionally, an Irish coffee is served after dinner, and it makes a lovely alternative to pudding. Chocolate is its natural partner, so it goes beautifully with a molten chocolate cake or a tiramisu. If you’d rather go easy on the sugar, it also works with good cheese and crackers.

Beyond dinner, a cold and rainy evening is all the excuse you need. It’s a winter drink at heart, which also makes it a fitting one for St Patrick’s Day.

Which coffee works best?

An Irish coffee lives or dies by the coffee underneath it, and this is where a lot of homemade ones fall down.

A fruity or floral coffee has the brightness to cut through the cream and whiskey, so the drink tastes balanced rather than heavy. We recommend Tutti Frutti.

If you’re not sure which of your coffees fits the bill, our flavour quiz is a quick way to find the perfect cup.

FAQs

Can you make an Irish coffee without cream?

Yes, though the cream is part of what makes it an Irish coffee rather than a spiked coffee. If you’d rather skip it, a splash of milk or a plant-based cream will still give you the warmth without the float.

Can you make a decaf Irish coffee?

Absolutely. Swap in a decaf coffee and you get all the comfort of an Irish coffee without the caffeine, which makes it a good after-dinner choice if you’re sensitive to it.

What glass should you use?

A heatproof glass is traditional and lets you see the layers, but any mug that holds heat well will do. Whatever you use, warm it first.

Is an Irish coffee served hot or cold?

Hot. The coffee and whiskey go in hot, and the cold cream floated on top gives you that warm-and-cool contrast in each sip.

How much alcohol is in an Irish coffee?

A 35ml measure of whiskey at 40% works out at around 1.4 units of alcohol. As always, enjoy it responsibly.

Try it with a coffee that’s made for it

An Irish coffee is only as good as the coffee in it. Browse our fruity and floral coffees to find a cup with the brightness to shine through the cream and whiskey – roasted to bring out its natural flavour, and delivered fresh.