Serve up the perfect Irish coffee this New Year’s Day
If you’re planning to open your coffee business on New Year’s Day, it’s not unlikely that a few of your customers will be in the market for a ‘hair of the dog’ and strong coffee combined. Step forward the Irish coffee – a combination of strong black coffee and Irish whiskey.
Invented in Limerick in the early 1940s to warm up plane passengers left stranded because of bad weather, the Irish coffee became an instant hit when it was exported to the USA. Irish coffee purists get heated over the correct composition – filter coffee or espresso? Brown sugar or white? – but if what customers are looking for is a punchy pick-me-up, here’s our recipe.
The perfect Irish coffee recipe
Serves 1
What you’ll need:
50ml cold whipping or double cream. Don’t be tempted to use squirty cream from a can – it will dissolve in the coffee too quickly.
Two rounded tablespoons of soft brown sugar. The original recipe uses brown sugar, but white will work. Don’t skimp on the sugar, as without it the cream won’t form a proper floaty layer.
50ml Irish whiskey
200ml freshly brewed strong black coffee
What to do:
Warm a tall, heatproof glass, either in a cup warmer or by using hot water. Using an electric whisk, whip the cream until it just starts to thicken but remains quite sloppy. Put the bowl back in the fridge until you need it – if the coffee’s very hot and the cream’s very cold, it will separate into layers better.
Put the sugar and the whiskey in the glass, and stir vigorously until the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour the hot coffee slowly onto the mixture, and give it a final stir. Carefully pour the cream over the back of a spoon until it forms a distinct layer.
If you like, add a sprinkling of grated nutmeg or a pinchful of chocolate powder over the top, and serve.
Happy New Year from all at the Wholesale Coffee Company, your online supplier of commercial coffee supplies including coffee beans, cups, coffee accessories and vending machine essentials.
