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Irish

Irish coffee (contains alcohol)

Vegetarian

Caife Gaelach

Contains alcohol — adults only. Hot, strong coffee sweetened with brown sugar and spiked with Irish whiskey, with a layer of lightly whipped cream floated on top and sipped through.

Irish coffee (contains alcohol) is an Irish hot drink from Ireland, ready in about 9 minutes and made with brewed coffee, brown sugar and irish whiskey. It serves 1 and is rated easy to cook.

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Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with homemade Irish coffee and shamrock cookies.
Photo: Jill Wellington / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
5 min
Cook
4 min
Total
9 min
Serves
1
Level
Easy
Calories
260

Ingredients

1 glass

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Warm a heatproof stemmed glass or mug by filling it with hot water for a minute, then pour the water away.

  2. Step 2

    Whisk (opens in a new tab) the cold cream by hand for about 30 seconds, just until it thickens slightly and coats a spoon but still pours. Stiff cream won't float smoothly.

    Eggs being whisked in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels

  3. Step 3

    Pour the hot coffee (opens in a new tab) into the glass and stir in the brown sugar (opens in a new tab) until dissolved.

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the whiskey (opens in a new tab).

      Food safety: Contains alcohol: adults only.

    • Step 5

      Pour the cream slowly over the back of a spoon held just above the coffee (opens in a new tab) so it floats in a thick layer. Don't stir — drink the hot coffee through the cold cream.

      • 1 min

    About this dish

    Origin
    Ireland · Commonly attributedWidely credited to the airport restaurant at Foynes (later Shannon) in the 1940s.Also popular in United States, United KingdomMore food from Ireland
    Dish
    Dessert · Hot drinks · Cocktails
    Cooking method
    No-cook
    Taste
    sweet, creamy, bitter, rich
    Diet
    Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Low-carb
    All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No gluten ingredients · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-sodium
    Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
    Good for
    Festive & celebration
    Cook more with
    Brewed coffee · Brown sugar · Heavy cream

    Allergens

    • Contains: Milkfrom heavy cream

    Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

    Nutrition

    260 kcal per serving

    Calculated

    1 serving ≈ 207 g · recipe makes 1

    Where the energy comes from

    • Protein 3%
    • Carbohydrate 23%
    • Fat 74%
    Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
    NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
    Energy260 kcal125 kcal
    Protein1.3 g0.6 g
    Carbohydrate10.1 g4.9 g
    Net carbohydrate10.1 g4.9 g
    Sugars10.1 g4.9 g
    Added sugars8.9 g4.3 g
    Fibre0 g0 g
    Fat14.5 g7 g
    Saturated fat9.2 g4.4 g
    Trans fat0.5 g0.2 g
    Cholesterol45 mg22 mg
    Sodium16 mg8 mg
    Salt equivalent0 g0 g
    Vitamins & minerals per serving
    Potassium
    110 mg
    Calcium
    36 mg
    Iron
    0.1 mg
    Magnesium
    7 mg
    Vitamin A (RAE)
    164 µg
    Vitamin C
    0 mg
    Vitamin D
    0.6 µg
    Vitamin B12
    0.1 µg
    Folate (DFE)
    4 µg

    How these numbers were made

    • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
    • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
    • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
    • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

    Good to know

    Tips

    • If the cream sinks, it was too thin or the coffee wasn't sweet enough; whisk a little more.

    Common mistakes

    • Using aerosol cream, which melts straight away and doesn't give the hot-cold contrast.

    Serve with

    • A small after-dinner drink rather than an everyday coffee.

    Food safety

    • Contains about 40 ml of whiskey. Adults only; not for anyone who is pregnant, driving, taking medicines that interact with alcohol, or avoiding alcohol.

    Storage

    • Serve immediately.

    Variations

    • Alcohol-free Irish-style coffee: Leave out the whiskey; add a drop of vanilla and an extra ½ tsp brown sugar so the cream still floats.

    History

    Usually credited to the chef Joe Sheridan at the Foynes flying-boat terminal in County Limerick in the 1940s, and later popularised in the United States. Details of the story vary between tellings.

    Confidence: Commonly attributed

    Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

    Recipe DNA

    How this dish is built

    Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

    What the dish is built around

    Main ingredient

    • Heavy cream, lightly whipped until just thickened but still pourable40 ml · 40 g
    Used in step 2

    Reviews & corrections

    Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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