Irish coffee: recipe, ratio and how to float the cream

Irish coffee is hot coffee with Irish whiskey and sugar, topped with a layer of lightly whipped cream. Traditionally you drink it through the cool cream, without stirring. Here is the classic recipe, proven proportions, how to keep the cream from sinking, and which coffee to use.

Where Irish coffee comes from

The story of Irish coffee starts in the 1940s in Foynes, in the west of Ireland, home to a flying boat terminal serving transatlantic flights. According to the local museum, in winter 1943 a flight bound for New York turned back because of bad weather, and chef Joe Sheridan served the cold passengers coffee with Irish whiskey. Legend has it that one of them asked whether it was Brazilian coffee, and Sheridan replied that it was Irish coffee. The exact date the drink was created is still disputed.

In 1952 Irish coffee went on the menu at the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco, where journalist Stanton Delaplane, who had tasted the drink in Ireland, recreated the recipe with the owner, Jack Koeppler. It quickly became the bar’s signature, and the Buena Vista made it famous across the United States.

Irish coffee ingredients and ratio

A classic Irish coffee has four ingredients: coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar and cream. The proportions matter, but you can choose the sugar and whiskey to suit your taste.

These proportions are close to classic bartending recipes. For comparison, the IBA specifies 120 ml of coffee, 50 ml of whiskey, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 50 ml of cream. For a lighter drink, cut back on the whiskey, but keep the sugar: it makes the coffee denser and helps the cream stay on top.

How to make Irish coffee step by step

1. Warm the glass, ideally a stemmed one. Fill it with hot water, wait a moment and pour the water out. Use heat-resistant glass.
2. Brew strong coffee, for example in a French press or a Hario V60. An americano made from espresso and hot water works too.
3. Add brown or white sugar to the glass, pour in the hot coffee and stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
4. Add the Irish whiskey and stir again.
5. Lightly whip the chilled cream with a whisk, or shake it in a closed jar or shaker. A dozen or so seconds may be enough, but go by texture: it should thicken slightly but still flow off a spoon. Do not whip it stiff.
6. Slowly pour the cream over the back of a spoon held just above the coffee so it forms an even layer, about 1-2 cm thick depending on the amount of cream and the width of the glass.
7. Serve straight away, without stirring. You drink the hot coffee through the cool layer of cream.

Why does the cream sink in Irish coffee?

Cream sinking or mixing into the coffee? Check three things: the sugar, the texture of the cream and how you pour.

• Too little sugar. Dissolved sugar makes the drink denser, which helps the cream float. It helps, but it will not make up for badly prepared cream.
• Cream too thin. Cream straight from the carton can mix into the coffee. Use chilled cream with 30-36% fat and whip it lightly so it is thicker but still pourable.
• Pouring too fast. A strong stream mixes the cream into the coffee. Pour slowly over the back of a spoon, just above the surface.

Do not whip the cream stiff either. Instead of a smooth layer you get a thick cap of whipped cream. In a classic Irish coffee the cream should be loose enough to drink the coffee through it.

Which coffee for Irish coffee?

Choose a coffee with a clear flavour that will hold its own with whiskey, sugar and cream. Chocolatey, caramel and nutty profiles are the easiest place to start, for example Brazil Mogiana, Colombia Antioquia Medellin or Guatemala Huehuetenango. Very light, fruity roasts can work too, but their brighter acidity will not suit everyone in this drink.

If you drink Irish coffee in the evening, make it with decaf, for example Colombia Excelso Medellin Decaf Swiss Water. It may taste slightly different from the regular version, but it still pairs well with whiskey and cream.

The coffee needs a clear flavour, because whiskey and cream change how you perceive it. If your filter coffee feels too delicate here, add a few grams more coffee for the same amount of water, keeping an eye on extraction so the brew does not turn bitter. For more on choosing beans, see Filter coffee beans: what to choose.

Non-alcoholic Irish coffee and other versions

Without whiskey it is no longer a classic Irish coffee, but you can make a similar drink: strong coffee sweetened with brown sugar and topped with lightly whipped cream. Add a touch of vanilla for aroma.

A popular variation uses a cream liqueur such as Baileys, often called „Baileys coffee”. The liqueur replaces the whiskey and makes the coffee sweeter and more dessert-like. It already contains sugar, so extra sweetening is often unnecessary. For more winter drinks, try our marshmallow spice latte and pumpkin spice latte recipes.