National Irish Coffee Day
Irish Coffee has been a favorite of Irish whiskey lovers for over 70 years. Invented in the early 1940s by chef Joe Sheridan in southern Ireland, the drink combined hot coffee with whisky and was topped with whipped cream. Stanton Delaplane, a travel writer from the United States, fell in love with the drink while visiting Ireland and brought the idea back to America. Delaplane introduced the recipe to the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco where Irish Coffee was made famous in America.
January 25th marks the annual National Irish Coffee Day which means it’s the ideal time to try crafting the drink for yourself! Making an authentic Irish Coffee is simple and only requires a few ingredients. While Irish Coffee calls for Irish whiskey, feel free to give it a Tennessee twist by substituting Irish whiskey for our Old Tennessee Distilling Company Thunder Road 101 bourbon. Both offer the smooth and round flavor needed for this recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brewed coffee (strong and hot)
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (adjusted to taste)
- 1 ½ ounces Irish whiskey
- ½ cup heavy cream, slightly whipped
- Hot or boiling water
Instructions
- First, fill your mug or glass with hot to boiling water. Let it sit for a few minutes before dumping it out. This step will help your drink stay warm by heating the mug.
- Add your hot coffee into the mug followed by the brown sugar. Stir until completely combined.
- Pour in the Irish (or Tennessee) whiskey and stir again.
- Finally, carefully top the drink with heavy cream so that it floats. Traditional Irish Coffee is meant to be sipped through the cream, so be sure not to stir. Serve warm.
While the pandemic may keep you from being able to celebrate National Irish Coffee Day in a pub this January, you can still mix up your own drink at home. At Old Tennessee Distilling Co., we have a wide selection of whiskies that will provide the perfect base for your Irish Coffee. Visit our website or stop in our distillery for free samples. As always, be sure to tag us in any of your drink recreations on social media!
