My Bar Bible / Cocktails / Irish Coffee

Irish Coffee recipe
IBA officialBuiltWine glassNo ice9% ABV280 kcal
The Irish Coffee is a built whiskey cocktail from the UK and Ireland, made with Irish whiskey, hot coffee and fresh cream, served in a wine glass. It is creamy and coffee-rich. It is an official IBA cocktail, in Contemporary Classics.
Joe Sheridan, Foynes airbase in Ireland, 1940s, for cold transatlantic passengers. San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe brought it to America in 1952.
Irish Coffee ingredients
| Brown sugar | 1 teaspoon |
| Irish whiskey | 50 ml (1¾ oz) |
| Hot coffee | 120 ml (4 oz) |
| Fresh cream | 50 ml (1¾ oz) |
How to make an Irish Coffee
- Warm the glass with hot water, then empty it.
- Dissolve the sugar in the hot coffee and add the whiskey.
- Float lightly whipped cream on top over the back of a spoon.
- Glass
- Wine glass
- Ice
- None
- Garnish
- None
Part of
Irish Coffee: quick answers
- How strong is a Irish Coffee?
- About 8.9% alcohol once the ice has melted in, roughly 16 g of alcohol per drink. That is an estimate: brands and dilution vary.
- How many calories are in a Irish Coffee?
- About 280 calories per drink, from the alcohol and the sweet and fresh ingredients. An estimate: brands and the amount of sugar change it. Compare every drink in the cocktail calorie chart.
- What glass is a Irish Coffee served in?
- A wine glass, with no ice in the glass.
- How many ingredients does a Irish Coffee have?
- 4 in total: brown sugar, Irish whiskey, hot coffee and fresh cream. Simple enough to make at home.
