Cocktail of the Week: The Classic Irish Coffee Cocktail

Photo credit: Liquor.com

St. Patrick’s Day is next week but there’s absolutely no reason why we can’t start the celebration a bit early. My original plan was to write about a new-age, Irish inspired, green cocktail, but in the end, I had to admit that my absolute favorite Irish cocktail is one that has stood the test of time and never does me wrong: The classic Irish Coffee Cocktail.

The origins of the Irish Coffee are up for debate but Irish legend has it that in the early 1940s, Joe Sheridan, the head chef of a restaurant at the Foynes Flying Boat terminal in Limerick, Ireland, first served the drink. The recipient asked Sheridan if it was Brazilian coffee, to which Sheridan brazenly replied that it was “Irish coffee.”

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• Brewed hot coffee
• Whipped cream for garnish

Directions

Fill an Irish coffee mug with hot water and let it sit for a minute to ensure you’re starting with a warm mug. Add the Irish whiskey and brown sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved. Fill with hot coffee and garnish with freshly whipped cream. Cheers!

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