by Al Butler
As it is March, my favorite month of the year, I will be focusing on drinks and cocktails that have originated from Ireland, including Norn Iron. This week we have the classic Irish Coffee which some say originated at Shannon Airfield in the 1940s or 50s as a way to warm up frozen air travelers on their arrival. No matter who or why it was created, the end result is a strong and warming experience in a glass. I’m going to keep this brief, as I have found over the past months, that what I say, or write, about a particular cocktail or libation is of little interest to the general populace.
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces Bushmills Original or Black, Irish Whiskey
3 ounces hot coffee
1 teaspoon Brown sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon heavy cream
Method:
Pour coffee into a warmed Irish coffee glass .5 inches from the rim. Add sugar to taste, stir to dissolve. Next add Bushmills Irish Whiskey. Top with slightly whipped cream, poured gently over the back of a spoon.
The sugar portion of this drink is optional. But, if you are going to add it use brown sugar, it mixes well with the whiskey and coffee flavors, offsetting the bitterness of the others. Whipped cream is essential, and adding a good dollop has been deemed an art form. Master bartenders pride themselves on their ability to “top off” a coffee neatly and cleanly. There are many methods for getting this done but I feel that lightly whipping fresh cream so that is it still somewhat liquid, and gently pouring over the back of a spoon you get a decent enough presentation without too much effort. NEVER under any circumstance are you to substitute canned Reddi-Whip for fresh cream. If you do then you are a peasant, and you should not be reading this blog.
Well there you have it. A warm, comforting Irish Coffee to either end your evening, or as an after dinner drink instead of dessert. I have loads more I could write on this, one of my “go to” winter drinks, but like I said no one is listening and I'd rather be sipping a glass instead.
Cheers
AL
 |
| Irish Coffee |
As it is March, my favorite month of the year, I will be focusing on drinks and cocktails that have originated from Ireland, including Norn Iron. This week we have the classic Irish Coffee which some say originated at Shannon Airfield in the 1940s or 50s as a way to warm up frozen air travelers on their arrival. No matter who or why it was created, the end result is a strong and warming experience in a glass. I’m going to keep this brief, as I have found over the past months, that what I say, or write, about a particular cocktail or libation is of little interest to the general populace.
Ingredients:
1.5 ounces Bushmills Original or Black, Irish Whiskey
3 ounces hot coffee
1 teaspoon Brown sugar (optional)
1 teaspoon heavy cream
Method:
Pour coffee into a warmed Irish coffee glass .5 inches from the rim. Add sugar to taste, stir to dissolve. Next add Bushmills Irish Whiskey. Top with slightly whipped cream, poured gently over the back of a spoon.
 |
| Black Bush, and brown sugar really make this drink sing. |
The sugar portion of this drink is optional. But, if you are going to add it use brown sugar, it mixes well with the whiskey and coffee flavors, offsetting the bitterness of the others. Whipped cream is essential, and adding a good dollop has been deemed an art form. Master bartenders pride themselves on their ability to “top off” a coffee neatly and cleanly. There are many methods for getting this done but I feel that lightly whipping fresh cream so that is it still somewhat liquid, and gently pouring over the back of a spoon you get a decent enough presentation without too much effort. NEVER under any circumstance are you to substitute canned Reddi-Whip for fresh cream. If you do then you are a peasant, and you should not be reading this blog.
Well there you have it. A warm, comforting Irish Coffee to either end your evening, or as an after dinner drink instead of dessert. I have loads more I could write on this, one of my “go to” winter drinks, but like I said no one is listening and I'd rather be sipping a glass instead.
Cheers
AL
No comments:
Post a Comment
We always appreciate comments and feed back so feel free to make your opinion heard here. Please remember to try and stay on topic and not to be too awfully abusive in your critics.