The Perfect Irish Coffee Recipe & Other Coffee and Whiskey Cocktails

An exquisite blend of wakefulness and relaxation, Irish coffee is a caffeinated, alcohol-infused treat like no other. Made with coffee and whiskey, it's sweet, creamy, and bold all at once. A beverage rooted in Irish culture, it is typically consumed mid-morning or early-afternoon, though an Irish coffee paired with a rich dessert is not unheard of.

Either way, Irish coffee is quite the delight. Today, we're here to tell you everything there is to know about it. From the origin story of Irish coffee and the magic behind it to an Irish coffee recipe and which whiskey pairs best with coffee, let this step-by-step guide be your go-to for all things Irish coffee. Without further ado, let's answer the question "What is Irish coffee?" as we take a look at how the combination of coffee and whiskey came to be.

The Origins of Authentic Irish Coffee

On a storm-filled evening in the winter of 1942, head chef Joe Sheridan created the very first classic Irish coffee. His creation originated at the flying boat terminal coffee shop in Foynes, Ireland. As a west coast town in the Irish county of Limerick, the location of this beverage helped it quickly garner popularity.

Foynes was home to many air travel layovers. People traveling from the United States to Europe and vice versa often deplane in Foynes while awaiting their next connecting flight. In an effort to welcome passengers and make their layover experience more enjoyable, Joe Sheridan concocted a mix of brown sugar, coffee, whiskey, and cream — a combination he named Irish coffee.

A few years later, a writer by the name of Stanton Delaplane experienced Sheridan's Irish coffee, and he couldn't help but recreate the drink when he returned to his hotel in San Francisco. He showed others how to make Irish coffee at the hotel, which resulted in the hotel offering coffee whiskey cocktails to its guests. And just like that, traditional Irish coffee began to make waves beyond the Irish coast.

Step-by-Step Traditional Irish Coffee Recipe

Now that we've explored the background of Irish coffee, it's time to dive into the Irish coffee ingredients followed by a traditional Irish coffee recipe.

Ingredients
1.5 ounces Irish whiskey
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Hot brewed coffee
Whipped cream

How To Make Irish Coffee
1. Heat a coffee mug with hot water for about two minutes.
2. Then, pour out the water and add the whiskey to the coffee cup.
3. From there, add the brown sugar followed by the hot coffee.
4. Top the warm beverage with whipped cream and enjoy!

How To Make Irish Coffee Even Better
The recipe above is as authentic as it gets, but you don't necessarily have to follow traditions! For a more adventurous version of Irish coffee, replace hot brewed coffee with cold brew coffee. Want to up the ante even more? Take advantage of nitro infusion machines, like the DRNX DUO and the BRW from BROOD. Advanced equipment like these two machines will transform your Irish coffee into a nitro-infused delight. Not only can BROOD's nitro infusion machines add a frothy, creamy, and foam-like texture to your cocktail, but it also creates a smoothness like no other.

More Irish Whiskey Cocktails To Try

As delicious as Irish coffee is, this drink is only the beginning. Allow us to introduce you to a world of cocktails inspired by Irish whiskey and coffee. There are countless concoctions out there, so why limit yourself to the original?

Take a peek at the drinks below and give the ones that pique your interest a try! While you're at it, don't forget to infuse them with nitro using BROOD's Nitro Coffee Machine.

Good Cork

Have you ever wondered what Irish whiskey and coffee tastes like when mixed with herbs and fruit? As a beverage that strikes a balance between savory and sweet, the Good Cork was invented by NYC-based bartender Phil Ward as a drink for those who love pairing coffee and whiskey.

Ingredients
1 ounce Irish whiskey
1 ounce mezcal
0.5 ounce Benedictine
2 splashes of Peychaud's bitters
Apple slices

How To Make a Good Cork
1. Pour the Irish whiskey into a mixing glass.
2. Add in the mezcal, Benedictine, and bitters along with ice.
3. Stir all four ingredients together until the glass is uniformly chilled.
4. Place a few ice cubes in your drinking glass of choice.
5. Using a strainer, pour the beverage into your drinking glass.
6. Place a garnish in the glass as a garnish. Enjoy!

McGlashan

We've all heard of mimosas, but if you want to bid farewell to simplicity and take an orange-based drink up a few notches, the McGlashan is a must-try beverage. Born from the creativity of Jack McGarry, co-founder of New York City's The Dead Rabbit, this spin-off of the classic Irish coffee recipe is like no other.

Ingredients
1.5 ounces Knappogue Castle Irish whiskey
0.75 ounces oloroso sherry
0.75 ounces lemon juice
0.75 ounces ginger syrup
1 teaspoon orange-ginger marmalade
3 dashes of The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters
Nutmeg

How To Make a McGlashan
1. In a shaker, add ice.
2. Then, pour the Irish whiskey, oloroso sherry, lemon juice, ginger syrup, orange-ginger marmalade, and bitters into the shaker.
3. Shake all of the ingredients together until they are evenly chilled.
4. In your drinking glass of choice, add ice.
5. Double-strain the mixture into your drinking glass.
6. Lightly sprinkle nutmeg on top as a garnish.

Dubliner

Move over, Manhattan; there's a new cocktail in town, and it's called the Dubliner. Inspired by the timeless coffee and whiskey drink named after the New York borough, the Dubliner is what happens when the Irish combine whiskey and sweet vermouth.

Ingredients you'll need
2 ounces Irish whiskey
1/2 ounce Grand Marnier
1/2 ounce sweet vermouth
3 dashes orange bitters
1 green maraschino cherry

How To Make a Dubliner
1. Chill your cocktail glass of choice.
2. Add ice to your mixing glass.
3. Pour Irish whiskey, Grand Marnier, sweet vermouth, and bitters into the mixing glass.
4. Stir everything together until it is chilled to your liking.
5. Strain the liquid into your cocktail glass of choice.
6. Add a maraschino cherry on top as the garnish.

Head of Steam

The Dubliner isn't the only option for those who like the taste of whiskey mixed with sweet vermouth. Similar to the punch that a coffee whiskey cocktail packs, this drink was originally crafted by professional bartender Pamela Wiznitzer. Head of Steam tastes like a dream come true for anyone who wants to intensify the flavor profile of their whiskey-and-vermouth cocktail.

Ingredients
1.5 ounces Irish whiskey
1 ounce vermouth
0.5 ounce sherry
4 dashes The Dead Rabbit Orinoco bitters
4 dashes Bittermens Xocolatl Mole bitters
Orange twist garnish

How To Make a Head of Steam
1. Chill your cocktail glass of choice.
2. Add ice to a mixing glass.
3. Pour the Irish whiskey, vermouth, sherry, and bitters into the mixing glass.
4. Stir everything together and make sure the mixture is thoroughly chilled.
5. Strain the liquids into your cocktail glass.
6. Last but not least, twist the orange peel over the top of your drink for a tangy garnish.

Irish Buck (Whiskey Ginger)

The Irish are recognized for the way they introduced coffee & whiskey to the world, but they aren't the first to combine soda with liquor. Even so, Whiskey Ginger is still something to write home about. Also known as the Irish Buck, this cocktail is a bubbly concoction that pairs ginger ale with lime juice, and your whiskey of choice.

Ingredients
1.5 ounces Irish whiskey
0.25 ounce lime juice
2 ounces ginger ale
Lime wheel garnish

How To Make an Irish Buck (Whiskey Ginger)
1. Add ice to your drinking glass.
2. Pour the whiskey and lime juice over top of the ice.
3. Follow with ginger ale.
4. Lightly stir the three ingredients together.
5. Add the lime wheel as a garnish.

Lone Oak

Now this drink is a showstopper. Not only does the Lone Oak incorporate plant-based green Chartreuse liqueur and use greenery as the garnish, but it also calls for pistachio syrup, making it one of the most unique Irish cocktail options on our list — after the traditional Irish coffee recipe, of course.

Ingredients
2 ounces Jameson Irish whiskey
0.25 ounce green Chartreuse
0.75 ounce lemon juice
0.75 ounce pistachio syrup
2 dashes Dead Rabbit orinoco bitters
2 curry leaves
Curry leaf garnish

How To Make a Lone Oak
1. Add ice to your shaker.
2. Combine the Irish whiskey, green Chartreuse, lemon juice, pistachio syrup, bitters, and curry leaves into the shaker.
3. Shake the ingredients together until they are chilled.
4. In a coupe glass, pour the shaken beverage.
5. Add the curry leaf as garnish.

Irish Pickleback

Not everyone likes fruity cocktails or mixed beverages that introduce an array of flavors all at once, and there's no problem with that! If you are someone who likes your drinks short and sweet, consider trying the Irish Pickleback on for size. It's like a coffee whiskey cocktail, but instead of the acidity coming from coffee, it's pickle juice.

Ingredients
1.5 ounces Jameson Irish whiskey
1.5 ounces pickle brine

How To Make an Irish Pickleback
1. Take your shot glass of choice and add Irish whiskey to it.
2. In a separate shot glass, pour in the pickle brine.
3. Consume the whiskey shot and follow it up with pickle brine as your chaser.

Tipperary

Up there in popularity with the classic Irish coffee, the Tipperary dates back to World War I when Irish soldiers would sing the song "It's a Long Road to Tipperary" before stopping inside local bars with one request: a drink. If you want to dip your toes in one of the most classic Irish cocktails around, this is the one for you.

Ingredients
1.5 ounces Irish whiskey
1 ounce sweet vermouth
0.5 ounce green Chartreuse
2 dashes Angostura bitters Orange twist garnish

How To Make a Tipperary
1. Chill your cocktail glass of choice.
2. Combine Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth, green chartreuse, and bitters in your mixing glass.
3. Add ice to the mixing glass.
4. Stir all of the ingredients until they are collectively chilled.
5. Strain the drink into your cocktail glass.
6. Twist the orange peel over the top of your drinking glass.

Hearn

If the Tipperary doesn't sound like it's strong enough for your tastebuds, but whiskey and coffee is too much, then the Hearn might be right up your alley. It's where Irish whiskey, vermouth, green chartreuse, absinthe, and bitters coexist.

Ingredients
1.5 ounces Irish Whiskey
1.5 ounces sweet vermouth
0.5 ounce green Chartreuse 2 dashes absinthe
4 dashes The Dead Rabbit Orinoco Bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
Orange twist garnish

How To Make a Hearn
1. Chill your drinking glass of choice.
2. Add ice to your mixing glass.
3. Pour Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth, green Chartreuse, and absinthe into the mixing glass.
4. Then, add Orinoco Bitters and orange bitters.
5. Stir all of the ingredients together.
6. Strain the beverage into your drinking glass of choice.
7. Twist the orange peel over the top of your drink for a finishing touch.

Irish Maid

This cocktail is part of a family of drinks that can be attributed to New York bartender Sam Ross. Similar to the US-inspired Kentucky Maid, the Irish Maid combines Irish whiskey, cucumber, lemon, and elderflower. It's like an Irish coffee recipe, with just fruit-inspired flavors and simple syrup instead of coffee and brown sugar.

Ingredients
2 ounces Irish whiskey
0.5 ounce St-Germain elderflower liqueur
0.75 ounce lemon juice 0.75 ounce simple syrup
2 cucumber slices
Cucumber slice garnish

How To Make an Irish Maid
1. Place the cucumber slices in your shaker.
2. Mash the cucumbers at the bottom of the shaker.
3. Then, combine Irish whiskey, elderflower liqueur, lemon juice, and simple syrup into the shaker.
4. Add ice to the shaker, and then shake.
5. Add a few ice cubes to your drinking glass of choice.
6. Strain the beverage into your drinking glass.
7. Add a cucumber slice as a garnish.

Irish Old Fashioned

The Irish Old Fashioned is, as you likely guessed, eerily similar to the original Old Fashioned drink. A combination of Jameson Irish Whiskey and Angostura bitters, the Irish Old Fashioned also has traces of orange bitters as well as herbs thanks to its inclusion of Benedictine. It might not be whiskey and coffee, but it's about as traditionally Irish as authentic Irish coffee.

Ingredients
2 ounces Jameson Black Barrel Irish whiskey
0.75 ounce Benedictine
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
Orange twist garnish

How To Make an Irish Old Fashioned
1. Add ice to a mixing glass.
2. Pour the whiskey, Benedictine, and bitters into the glass.
3. Stir the liquids together until they are fully chilled.
4. Finish the look by adding an orange twist garnish.

Why Coffee and Irish Whiskey Blend Together So Well

Whether you make your own at home or you order an Irish coffee at a local bar, this drink is an unforgettable experience. It's also customizable, meaning you can adjust the sweetness of the traditional Irish coffee recipe by altering how much brown sugar you add.

You can even play around with the intensity by trying different coffee and whiskey pairings. The options are endless, but if you're interested in a more authentic Irish coffee, it's wise to opt for a 1:4 ratio of whiskey to coffee.

Coffee & Whiskey: A Match Made in Heaven or a Mere Trend?

If we asked you whether you think Irish coffee is a fleeting trend or a drink that's here to stay, what would you say? If you're like us, you'd place your bets on Irish coffee being a long lasting addition to the world of cocktails. Given its history over the years and its longevity since its conception, Irish coffee has quite the following.

From those who start their day with a coffee whiskey cocktail to people who like to unwind with an Irish coffee in hand, this beverage is a timeless classic that isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Plus, the originality of Irish coffee will likely prevent it from being taken over by other cocktails someday. After all, nothing else beats the uplifting yet relaxing combination of coffee and whiskey.

Try Out Different Liquor for a Change of Taste

What is the Best Liquor for a Coffee Whiskey Cocktail?
When crafting a coffee and whiskey beverage, there isn't necessarily a right or wrong answer when it comes to which liquor is best. As long as you use whiskey, the brand and the type of whiskey that you choose is up to you. While Irish coffee is the most authentic option, you can also opt for scotch, bourbon, Canadian whiskey, or Japanese whiskey.

Comparing Authentic Irish Coffee with Other Coffee Liqueur Variations
Changing the type of whiskey that you use when making Irish coffee can be a lot of fun. After all, it's always exciting to try something new! But what if we told you that another option is to give coffee liqueur variations a whirl? You can pair Irish coffee with a splash of Kahlua, Baileys, Tia Maria, or even Mr. Black to add a bit of vodka to the mix. Alternatively, you can stick to the basics and pour a dollop of amaretto or Irish cream into your whiskey and coffee cocktail for a touch of flavor.

Classic Irish Coffee: What is the Difference Between Irish Coffee and Baileys With Coffee?
Essentially, what it all comes down to is that Irish coffee uses whiskey, brown sugar, and cream whereas Baileys is a pre-made liqueur. Instead of pouring cream on top of your drink, Baileys is mixed into coffee in the same way you'd add milk or flavored creamer to a cup of Joe. You might feel more of a kick with Irish coffee, but Baileys is the sweeter option. If you're intrigued by coffee with Baileys but the sweetness level sounds overwhelming, give Kahlua a try as Kahlua is less sweet than Baileys.

How to Enhance the Flavor & Kick of Your Irish Whiskey Cocktail

From experimenting with different Irish whiskey brands to trying various coffee blends and adding liqueur to your Irish coffee, there are many ways to enjoy this Irish classic. However, if you really want to enhance the flavor and kick of your Irish coffee whiskey cocktail, infusing your Irish coffee with nitrogen is the way to go.

DRNX Nitro Coffee Machine
The DRNX Nitro Coffee Machine is a powerhouse that can help you step up your Irish coffee game. Essentially, the DRNX nitro system works by cooling liquids and then infusing them with atmospheric nitrogen. That way, every pour results in the perfect cup of nitrogen-infused Irish coffee for a smoother and foamier beverage.

DRNX DUO
There's also the DRNX DUO from BROOD. DRNX DUO is similar to the DRNX machine, just more efficient! Equipped with two taps instead of one, you can pour more drinks at a faster rate with this nitro infusion machine.

DRNX BRW
Last but certainly not least, the DRNX BRW creates nitro cold brew from the beginning. With this machine, you can prep nitro cold brew that can then be used for a wide array of cocktails. Maybe you're having friends over and you both want to enjoy an Irish coffee, though each of you wants to sip on a different type of whiskey. DRNX BRW makes that possible.

Ready to Make Authentic Irish Coffee at Home?

Now that you know how to make Irish coffee, the world of whiskey and coffee is your oyster. You have what it takes to follow a traditional Irish coffee recipe and craft this coffee & whiskey beverage on your own. Plus, with the help of professional-grade nitro coffee machines from BROOD, you can take your Irish coffee vision to the next level.

From the world's fastest nitro infusion system DRNX DUO to the DRNX Nitro Coffee machine, BROOD also offers the one and only DRNX BRW nitro cold brew coffee maker. Check out BROOD today for insight into making the best Irish coffee possible!