National Irish Coffee Day (January 25): Origin And Fun Recipes To Try!

What happens when caffeine goes to a bar and returns home with a booze hangover? An Irish Coffee might know the answer! It’s smooth, creamy, definitely caffeinated, and comes with a surprising warmth from alcohol. Each year, January 25 is celebrated as National Irish Coffee Day, particularly in Ireland  but Irish whiskey’s influence in India has developed a loyal fan base for this silky-smooth beverage. Let’s take a look at how it originated and some fun recipes!

January 25 – National Irish Coffee Day: What You Must Know!

What Is Irish Coffee And What Are Its Origins?

First things first, what is Irish Coffee?

Irish Coffee is a caffeinated alcoholic beverage that is made by combining hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, ultimately topped with whipped cream or cream liqueur. This coffee (or alcoholic beverage?) finds its origins in the early 1940s when chef Joe Sheridan invented the drink in southern Ireland. He combined hot coffee with whiskey and then topped it with whipped cream.

When Stanton Delaplane, a United States-based travel writer, tasted the beverage in Ireland, he fell in love with the recipe and brought it to his country. Here, he introduced the recipe to the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco.

Also Read: Mulled Wine Pairings: What To Eat With It For The Perfect Winter Evening

How Is Irish Coffee Made? Ingredients, Measurements, And Instructions

Even though Irish Coffee might sound like a fancy, difficult, and complex beverage to make, it is anything but. Here is a fool-proof recipe for you to make this coffee-booze concoction:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brewed coffee (hot and strong)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 ½ ounces Irish whiskey
• ½ cup heavy cream, slightly whipped
• Hot/boiling water

Instructions:

• Fill a mug with hot to boiling water. Let it sit for a few minutes before pouring all the water out. This will heat the mug and help maintain the temperature of the drink.
• Add hot coffee into the mug.
• Then add brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved.
• Pour in Irish whiskey and stir again.
• Carefully top the drink with heavy, whipped cream ensuring that it floats. Do not stir the cream as traditional Irish Coffee is meant to be sipped through the cream. Serve hot!

3 Fancy Irish Coffee Recipes To Try This National Irish Coffee Day!

Recipe 1: Butterscotch Irish Latte By MONIN India

MONIN, the globally renowned French flavor solutions creator, launched in India in 2019. With a growing network of over 100 distribution partners pan-India, it has opened its first state-of-the-art MONIN studio in India, at New Delhi and next coming up in Bangalore. Here’s a Butterscotch Irish Latte recipe by MONIN India!

This drink marries the richness of coffee with a caramelized goodness. Without feeling overpowering, the recipe presents a rich, smooth, and silky latte. What’s also great about this recipe is that it works just as well warm as it does in an iced coffee style.

Ingredients:

• 5 to 10 ml of MONIN Butterscotch Syrup
• 10 ml of MONIN Irish Syrup
• 1 shot of espresso
• 120 ml milk
• Ice cubes as required
• Coffee beans for garnish

Instructions:

• Brew a fresh shot of espresso and set it aside.
• Add MONIN Butterscotch Syrup and MONIN Irish Syrup into a glass.
• Pour the espresso into the glass and stir gently to combine.
• Add milk into the mixture and combine well. For an iced version, add ice cubes and stir gently.
• Top with whipped cream and garnish with a coffee bean!

Recipe 2: Irish Kaapi By Nao Spirits

Nao Spirits started as a brain child of Anand Virmani, Aparajita Ninan, and Vaibhav Singh somewhere in 2016-2017 and is credited with leading the Indian craft gin revolution. They produce some of the most well-known Indian craft gins today, namely, Greater Than and Hapusa. Here’s an Irish Kaapi recipe by Nao Spirits.

This is a deliciously warm Irish Coffee with a desi twist! The Greater Than No Sleep Gin used in this recipe lends a deep, rich, and filter kaapi-inspired flavor to the drink. Let’s take a look at the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 50 ml of Greater Than No Sleep Gin
• 150 ml of hot black coffee
• 20 ml of demerara sugar, a kind of minimally processed sugar (is easily available in India)
• Whipped cream to top
• Grated nutmeg dust for garnish

Instructions:

• Combine Greater Than Gin, hot black coffee, and sugar into an Irish Coffee mug.
• Layer it with whipped cream. Do not stir it!
• Garnish with grated nutmeg dust and serve hot!

Also Read: Indian Craft Gin Explained: Hapusa vs Samsāra vs Cherrapunji Botanicals, Flavor Profiles And Pricing

Recipe 3: Irish Coffee By Atelier V

Atelier V, founded by Chef Vedant Newatia, is Indore’ premier casual fine dine destination. The restaurant offers a chic and sophisticated casual fine dining experience in the city with its innovative food and drinks inspired by Newatia’s global culinary journey. Here’s Atelier V’s Irish Coffee recipe! 

This recipe by Atelier V is served unstirred and is deliciously silky-smooth. This is a classic winter staple and is ready within minutes!

Ingredients:

• 120 ml of hot black coffee
• 30 ml of Irish whiskey
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar
• Cold lightly whipped cream to top

Instructions:

• Warm the glass with hot water and then discard the water.
• Add brown sugar and hot coffee into the warm mug and stir until dissolved.
• Pour in Irish whiskey and stir gently once.
• Using the back of a spoon, carefully float lightly whipped cream on top and serve.

Summing Up

This National Irish Coffee Day, it’s time to whip up some coffee and pour in a shot of Irish whiskey! Time to say goodbye to your reliable daily coffee for a day and switch things up with a boozy twist! Which one of these recipes are you the most excited to try?