The Fancy Irish Coffee

The standard Irish Coffee is more than enough to warm your bones and lift your soul on a cold and wet day – it might just be required.

However, the Irish Coffee has become such a ubiquitous cocktail, offered at every bar, from the lowliest college bar to the swankiest hotel bar. When creating cocktails for Irish Bars, I found my clients and I wanted something more than the typical Irish Coffee, so I created a fancy version. The BevX fancy Irish Coffee is big on flavors and offers enough gratuitous fiddling to excite the contemporary mixologist.

Of course, if you find yourself on an airfield west of Limerick with sideways rain or perhaps in a century-old tavern near Fisherman’s Wharf, the classic Irish Coffee is all you will ever need.

This is Irish Coffee is for the serious Irish Pub or an ambitious host. Perhaps your St. Patrick’s Day gathering is in need of a statement? This might just be the cocktail for you.

Building the Fancy Irish Coffee

1. Irish Stout Syrup – You need one pint of Irish Stout (such as Guinness) and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Bring the Guinness to a low boil and simmer until the liquid has been reduced by 1/3. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until it’s dissolved. Allow to cool, then store in an airtight container.

2. Irish Whipped Cream – Start with 1 cup of whipping cream and 1.5 ounces of Irish Cream Liqueur. Whip until it comes together and gains volume, but don’t over-whip. You are looking for a shiny dollop of cream that holds its shape, but you are not aiming for stiff peaks. Over-whipping can cause the cream to collapse.

Irish Whiskey is the key component to an Irish Coffee, but don’t go overboard. You want to use a quality blended Irish Whiskey with enough body and spice to let you know this is indeed a Whiskey cocktail. You might think that a fancy Irish Coffee calls for the fanciest Irish Whiskey that you can find, but that is counterproductive. An older single malt or Irish Pot Still Whiskey will get lost under the layers of black coffee and fortified cream. Powers Gold Label Whiskey or Tullamore D.E.W. are available in most markets, and they both make an excellent Irish Coffee.

Have a pot of fresh, hot coffee at the ready. You want to use a medium-dark to dark-roasted bean—one from Sumatra would be an excellent choice. Add 1.5 ounces of Irish Whiskey, 1 ounce of Irish Stout Syrup, hot coffee, and top with a couple of tablespoons of Irish Whipped Cream in a stemmed coffee glass or mug. If you are still feeling ambitious, shave some dark chocolate atop the cream. You have now made a Fancy Irish Coffee!

Enjoy!