How to Make Perfect Irish Coffee At Home

Every March 17, millions of Americans don green and celebrate the Irish with parades, good cheer, and perhaps a cup of Irish Coffee.

It’s likely that the Irish have been mixing whiskey and coffee since they first gained access to coffee. But legend says this heartwarming Cup of Joe was created in Ireland around the time of the second Word War by a man named Joe. But which Joe? According to Dublin’s Evening Herald newspaper, two different Irishmen hold claim to inventing the potion:

• Joseph Sheridan, the chef at the Foynes Airbase terminal near the modern Shannon International Airport, is said to have served the drink to a group of chilled passengers in 1942. Each year, Foynes hosts an Irish Coffee festival.
• Joe Jackson is said to have developed the drink after his ship was torpedoed in the North Atlantic while he served in the Merchant Marine. He later introduced his Irish Coffee at his Ulster Hotel in Ballybofey, County Donegal.

Regardless of its origins, this distinctly Irish drink is a delicious way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Try our recipe for making perfect Irish coffee at home.

CRIMSON CUP^® IRISH COFFEE

Serve in this glass: Libbey 8054, 6 oz. Irish Coffee Glasses.

• Buy heavy (whipping) cream the night before. Put cream into a container that can be shaken. Shake well the night before to expand the liquid cream.
• Brew dark roast Crimson Cup Jungle Love^® or 3^rd Shift^® coffee to preferred strength.
• Place 1 tablespoon of sugar into Libby Irish Coffee glass.
• Pour about 4 oz. of chosen Crimson Cup coffee into Libbey Irish Coffee glass.
• Pour 1 shot of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey into Libbey Irish Coffee glass.
• Slowly pour the now-expanded heavy cream on top of the liquid. The expanded cream should float on the top of the liquid, creating a collar about one-quarter-inch deep.
• Serve the coffee on a side plate without a spoon. Do not stir. Irish coffee is best enjoyed by sipping the coffee through the cream.

Sláinte! Enjoy your St. Paddy’s Day!