Irish Coffee

St. Patrick’s Day for me means Irish Coffee: A frothy, if potent, treat that my family used to enjoy each year. Growing up, my grandmother would serve them after a hearty holiday dinner in fancy stemmed glasses decorated with tiny green shamrocks. Everyone would smile and clink glasses; I would pretend to do the same and then my mom would share sips with me until I was old enough to have my own glass. The glasses have since been lost and I am a long ways from my childhood home, but I make do with mugs and plenty of fond memories. In fact, I've been celebrating all week!

Irish Coffee is a common offering on drink menus these days but precious few establishments make it decently. The key, in my opinion, is freshly whipped cream and plenty of it. The cream settles into a frothy float at the top of the glass. Drinking the coffee through the froth affords a sweet richness to each sip and makes me one happy lady. Of course, the whiskey you choose also makes a big difference. Personally, my loyalty lies with Bushmills. I am told that there is a bit of a religious divide among the Irish when it comes to brands, with Catholics favoring Jameson and Protestants favoring Bushmills. My family is many things, including Catholic-leaning and Irish, but apparently no one got the memo that we were drinking the wrong whiskey. And now it is too late to matter (that is, if it ever would have mattered) because, after all these years, Irish Coffee with any thing other than Bushmills just wouldn’t be the same.

Irish Coffee

1 shot Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
12 ounces freshly brewed, unflavored coffee
Heavy whipping cream

In a small bowl, lightly whip the cream with one tablespoon of sugar and set aside. Pour whisky and remaining sugar into a cocktail glass or mug and stir until the granules are dissolved. Add coffee and top with several plentiful dollops of whipped cream. Allow to sit momentarily before enjoying. Do not stir after adding cream.