Teeling’s Fighting Irish Coffee (Photo courtesy of Teeling Irish Whiskey)
Nope, it’s not St. Pat’s yet. But it has been cold and stormy out this week! And that makes us really, really want a decent Irish coffee.
Apparently, the drink came to pass in the 1940s on Ireland’s wind-whipped west coast — a place of stunning scenery and craggy coastline that’s inspired some pretty amazing literature, film, art, warm tight-knit sweaters and, yes, good drink.
The recipe is simple — good Irish whiskey; good, hot, brewed coffee; real cream (hands off the Reddi-Wip; don’t skimp out here and use real cream). Slainte, friends!
Teeling Fighting Irish coffee
- 1 1/4 oz Teeling small batch Irish whiskey
- 4 oz hot, brewed coffee
- 1/2 oz Demerara simple syrup
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Fill a mug with boiling water to warm. Set a aside.
In a mixer or using a hand-held mixer, whip the cream until just stiff. Set aside.
Dump the hot water from the mug, and pour in the simple syrup, coffee and whiskey. Give it a stir. Top with a bar spoon or more of the heavy cream. Cheers!
To make the Demerara syrup
Combine equal parts Demerara sugar and water in a small saucepan. Simmer until the sugar dissolves and the mixture thickens a bit, about 15 minutes.
Allow to cool and store in a sealable container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Amy Zavatto is the Editor-in-Chief for southforker, northforker and Long Island Wine Press. She's a wine, spirits, and food journalist whose work appears in Wine Enthusiast, InsideHook.com, MarthaStewart.com, the New York Post, Liquor.com, SevenFifty Daily, Imbibe, Men’s Journal and many others. She's the author of The Big Book of Bourbon Cocktails, Prosecco Made Me Do It: 60 Seriously Sparkling Cocktails, Forager’s Cocktails: Botanical Mixology with Fresh, Natural Ingredients, and The Architecture of the Cocktail. She is a respected judge for the American Craft Spirits Association’s annual small-production spirits competition, and has moderated numerous panels on the topics of wine, spirits, cocktails, and regional foodways. She is the former Deputy Editor for the regional celebratory publications, Edible Manhattan and Edible Brooklyn, as well as the former Executive Director of the Long Island Merlot Alliance. She is a member of the New York chapter of the international organization of women leaders in food, wine, and spirits, Les Dames d’Escoffier. The proud daughter of a butcher, Amy is originally from Shelter Island, N.Y., where she developed a deep respect for the East End’s natural beauty and the importance of preserving and celebrating it and its people.
