This easy Irish coffee recipe is a classic Irish coffee cocktail that is ideal for chilly nights. It is a delightful blend of coffee, whiskey, sugar, and cream, perfect for warming you up on a cold night or adding a touch of sophistication to your after-dinner drink.
Add hot water to Irish coffee mugs to warm the cups, and let them sit for a minute while you gather the rest of your ingredients. Pour out hot water and add hot coffee and brown sugar to your mug, stirring until the sugar has dissolved.
Stir in the whiskey. And top with whipped cream; please look at the notes for how to make whipped cream and float it on top of the coffee.
Notes
Please review the post for more tips and tricks, variations, and details. How to float whipped cream on a hot drinkFloat a healthy dollop of whipped cream on top of the coffee by holding a spoon upside down over the glass mug, then spoon the softly whipped cream over the back of the spoon. Similar to how I float these layers in this stunning Blueberry Gin Cocktail. Please top it with a dash of nutmeg (yummy) or a shake of green sanding sugar if you'd like.How to Make Whipped Cream for this Easy Irish Coffee RecipeIn a cold bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour 1 cup of cold heavy cream (for whipping) into a bowl and whip at low speed for a minute until the cream thickens slightly; add 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract.Increase speed and whip until soft peaks form, as opposed to my stabilized whipped cream, whipped longer and stiffer; fantastic as a Cool Whip replacement in recipes like this Oreo Dessert.Variations for Irish Coffee Cocktail
Cold Brew Irish Coffee - Make a cold brew Irish Coffee using your favorite cold brew coffee; instead of brown sugar, use cane sugar simple syrup so it dissolves quicker, then add whiskey and whipped cream floating on top.
Iced Irish Coffee - Like above, use cold brewed coffee, or fill your favorite pint glass full of ice, pour coffee over whiskey, and top with whipped cream.
Irish Cream Coffee - If you like your coffee not quite so strong, add a tablespoon or two of half and half or heavy cream, essentially making an Irish Cream coffee; if you layer it correctly, you will have a cream layer at the bottom, coffee in the middle and the whipped cream layer on top.
Bailey's Irish Coffee - Replace whiskey with equal amounts of Bailey’s Irish Cream liqueur for an even creamier coffee.
Canned Whipped Cream - You may use canned whipped cream, but note that it will melt into the drink much faster than homemade whipped cream.
How to Make Non-alcoholic Irish Coffee
If you still want it to taste authentic, use a non-alcoholic whiskey (yup, they make it!).