A warming after-dinner classic: hot black coffee laced with Irish whiskey and sweetened with sugar, crowned by a thick collar of softly whipped cream floated over the back of a spoon so each sip is drawn through the cool cream into the warm, boozy coffee beneath. The modern version was created by chef Joe Sheridan at Ireland's Foynes flying boat terminal in the early 1940s to revive chilled transatlantic travelers, then carried to San Francisco's Buena Vista Cafe, where it became an American institution.
built · Irish coffee glass · None
build
Preheat the Irish coffee glass with hot water, then discard.
add
Pour hot black coffee into the warmed glass.
add
Add Irish whiskey and sugar; stir until the sugar fully dissolves.
top
Float lightly whipped chilled cream over the back of a spoon so it sits as a distinct layer without mixing into the coffee.