Coffee Irish Cream

Coffee Irish cream is the homemade version of the bottled Baileys-style liqueur, and the homemade kind has a fresher, brighter flavor than anything off the shelf. Two cans of milk do the work of cream, the evaporated milk for body and the sweetened condensed milk for sweetness and that signature silky pour.

The instant coffee is what shifts this from regular Irish cream into the coffee variety. Use a quality instant espresso powder if you can find it, the flavor is more intense and won’t taste cheap. Even a half tablespoon delivers a noticeable coffee depth without overwhelming the Irish whiskey.

The glycerine is the unusual ingredient that food-grade liquor formulators use to keep the texture viscous and silky over time. It’s available at any pharmacy or baking supply shop and makes a real difference in mouthfeel. Skip it and the cream still tastes great but feels thinner.

Blend the whole lot for a full ten minutes. This isn’t excessive, the long blend fully emulsifies the milk solids with the alcohol and prevents separation in the bottle.

Serve over ice, in coffee, or splashed into hot chocolate.

Pro Tips

• Use a quality Irish whiskey, the cream takes on the whiskey’s character.
• Strain through a fine mesh after blending to catch any undissolved coffee granules.
• Bottle in a sealed glass container and refrigerate, the alcohol acts as a preservative and the cream keeps for up to two months.
• Shake well before each pour, even with glycerine some settling can happen.

Variations

• Swap instant coffee for instant espresso for a bolder, more Italian-leaning flavor.
• Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder for a chocolate-coffee Irish cream.
• Use bourbon or aged rum instead of Irish whiskey for a different spirit profile.