A person doesn’t have to be Irish to love Irish coffee. And it doesn’t have to be St. Patrick’s Day to drink Irish coffee. In fact, one of the best cups of Irish coffee I’ve ever had was in Scotland. Another in Park City, Utah. And the other in my small-town Minnesota living room.
That’s a sorry picture of my coffee, isn’t it? I mean, SERIOUSLY! How can I take a picture of something when all I really want to do is slurp it down???
I’m not a fan of beer, so my mission a couple years ago while visiting Ireland was to find the ultimate cup of coffee. While normal tourists visit pubs to sample a pint, I was slightly more caffeinated – and slightly less intoxicated – than typical tourists.
The streets of Dublin are colourful – and filled with colourful people.
The best way to tour a new foreign city, in my mind, is to find the tourist information office. Politely pick up a map. Ask a few intelligent-sounding questions. Then ask the native staff members where THEY go to eat lunch. Or which stores they shop at. Their answers will most likely be different than what they tell tourists. You will be treated to more authentic food, clothing, home goods, etcetera. Totally worth the effort!
Ireland is one of those places that draws people from around the globe. Once you have sampled the beautiful nature, excellent food, and amazingly hospitable people, you begin planning your next trip.
Can you believe how gorgeous the Muckross Friary is???
I love annoying my beautiful daughter by taking pictures of her, taking pictures. She has the eye of an artist, and the patience to wait for perfect lighting and composition.
I just snap a photo, and move on to the next thing. Sigh.
Anyway, back to Irish coffee…..
The challenge is to find the perfect balance between coffee, cream, sugar, and whiskey. Quality ingredients are important. Here’s the scoop:
- use turbinado (partially refined sugar), which the Irish call “brown sugar”
- use fresh cream that has been whipped, but is still rather “gloppy”
- use top-notch ground coffee, brewed strong
- the whiskey:turbinado ratio is 2:1
- pre-warm the mugs by pouring hot water into them, then drain and dry
- carefully “float” the whipped cream on top of the coffee — don’t stir it in — and sip coffee through the cream
- use Jameson whiskey for a more authentic coffee
Perfect Irish Coffee
Ingredients
- 1 pot strong, good-quality coffee
- 8 Tbsp Jameson whiskey
- 4 Tbsp turbinado sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream, whipped lightly
Instructions
- Warm mugs by carefully pouring in hot water, and once they are warm, drain and dry the mugs
- Combine 2 Tbsp whiskey and 1 Tbsp turbinado in each mug
- Add hot coffee, filling about 2/3 full, and stir until most of the turbinado has dissolved
- Gently float the cream on top of the coffee – do not stir – and sip coffee through the cream
Can’t leave this post without another stunning scenery shot:
