Creamy Irish Coffee

The trick to this Irish coffee is whiskey in two places: half a cup heated into the sweetened coffee itself, plus two more tablespoons beaten into the whipped cream. That double dose means you taste whiskey from the first sip of hot coffee through the last spoonful of cream on top.

Heat the coffee and whiskey together gently but don’t let it boil. Boiling burns off the alcohol and leaves a bitter, flat taste. You want the whiskey warm and aromatic, not cooked out.

The whipped cream gets sweetened with 2 tablespoons of sugar and that extra splash of whiskey before whipping until light. Pipe or spoon it over the hot coffee so it floats on top rather than mixing in. Drinking the hot, boozy coffee through the cold whiskey cream is the whole experience.

Chef Tips

• Use strong, fresh-brewed coffee. Weak coffee gets lost under the whiskey and sugar
• Warm the mugs or goblets with hot water before pouring. Cold glass drops the temperature instantly
• Whip the cream to soft peaks only. Over-whipped cream sinks instead of floating
• Don’t stir after adding the cream. Sip the coffee through it

Variations

• Bourbon swap: Use bourbon instead of Irish whiskey for a sweeter, more vanilla-forward drink
• Baileys finish: Replace the whiskey in the cream with Baileys Irish Cream for a richer topping
• Decaf evening version: Use strong decaf coffee so you can enjoy this after dinner without the caffeine