On St. Patrick's Days we're all a little bit Irish, are we not? So how could I not keep with the spirit? Oh sure, I could do Sheppard's Pie or even the classic Corned Beef And Cabbage, but that takes days of brining and could cost hundreds of lives...Wait what? Let's move on...Keeping in theme of what we do here, we're going to tackle a simple yet savory (and quite rewarding) cocktail. Yes of course I'm speaking of the Irish Coffee. Now many people will argue that they make the best IC or know where the best one made. But I say unto you today that it IS (as always) a matter of personal taste. So again, I will use one of my favorite phrases (and you'll really love me for it this time) taste, taste, taste!!
You know most of the ingredients and we'll cover that, but make no mistake, the ONE thing you cannot change is the Irish Whiskey. Now people often ask me, "TPC what IS the difference between Irish Whiskey and Scotch Whisky?". No problem. I'll keep this broad and simple (and yes there's more than this, but these are the basics).
1. They spell Whiskey differently...as noted above.
2. Irish Whiskey is distilled three times as compared to Scotch's two.
3. Irish Whiskey uses a kiln dried malt barley, while Scotch uses a peaty smoked process.
4. Irish Whiskey has to be casked for at least three years, while Scotch only has to be casked for at least two
OK now you're a whiskey pro, or at least will be able to say something smart at the next party, gathering or local watering hole. So that means there's only one thing left to do...Let's prep.
Here's What You Need:
1 Heat Proof Glass Mug (and glass will do as long as it can withstand heat, I mean who has Irish Coffee Glasses just sitting around?)
Coffee (Use you favorite, or even espresso...bold)
Irish Whiskey (I won't use a brand here, unless of course they suddenly want to sponsor this blog)
Ground Cinnamon
Brown Sugar
For the Whipped Cream:
1 cup Heavy Cream (really cold)
2 tbsp Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (Or be bold like me in this one and use almond extract...remember have fun!)
Make the whipped cream first. In a pre-chilled bowl. mix the cream until you start to see some small peaks form (don't worry you'll know when when you see them). Starting add the sugar gradually, then the same with the vanilla. Mix until you see some nice serious peaks. Cover with cellophane and store in the fridge right away. KEEP IT COLD!
For the coffee. Use some freshly brewed batch of your favorite coffee (I'd go strong on the mix) Or you can even use a shot (or two) of espresso.
TPC NOTE: Before you brew, tap some cinnamon power directly into the grinds. This is SO much easier than adding to the liquid. Tap to taste of course.
Heat up your glass by filling it with hot water (kind of like a martini but with hot water). Empty the glass and fill with the whiskey. It's key to do this next and fast. It's kind of like a brandy snifter. The heat of the glass releases the whiskey's aromas. Yum. OK quickly follow with the coffee and stir. Smell that! yeah... Ok now spoon in 2 tsp of the brown sugar and stir, stir, stir. You're ready for the cream.
Slowly spoon in or fold in the cream trying not to mix the two (this may take a few coffees to get it down).
TPC NOTE: One trick is to heat the spoon so the cream comes right off of it. OR you can can spoon the cream into a freezer baggie, push it all towards one corner. Snip just a bit of the corner off with a scissors and voila you have a quickie pastry bag.
.......That's it. You're ready. Slainte!
Until we do this again...Enjoy...Have Fun...and Eat Well!
TPC
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