I love the traditional St. Patrick’s Day spread, but I also like to wow my friends and family with new takes on classic flavors. Drinks and desserts inspired by boozy and decadent Irish cream cocktails and warming Irish coffee are my lucky charms for a great St. Patrick’s Day celebration. It doesn’t hurt that Irish coffee has a pretty cool history.
The most accepted origin story of Irish coffee says that the combination of coffee and Irish whiskey was first popularized at an airbase in Foynes, Ireland in the 1940s. The head chef of the airbase’s restaurant and coffee shop started offering weary travelers coffee with whiskey, a tradition that continued after the airbase was closed and became Shannon Airport.
By the 1950s, Irish coffee had made its way to the United States by way of travel writer Stanton Delaplane who had enjoyed the cocktail at the very same Shannon Airport. Delaplane worked with Jack Koeppler, owner of San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe, to develop the version of the Irish coffee that most of us think of today.
Irish cream is a sweet cream liqueur with an Irish whiskey base and notes of vanilla. To be called “Irish cream,” the product must be produced in Ireland, although the original Irish cream (Baileys) was an English invention. Coincidentally or perhaps by design, Irish cream and Irish coffee go together perfectly, and you can simply add Irish cream to coffee to make a “lazy” Irish Coffee.
But we’re not settling for the lazy version this St. Paddy’s Day! We’re amping things up by using the latest seasonal flavor from Flip Coffee, Irish Creme. The perfect medium roast for a bold flavor that still lets the Irish cream shine, I would be happy enjoying a cup of this brew on its own, but it adds so much to any recipe that calls for coffee.
1. Traditional Irish Coffee Recipe with Flip Coffee
Source: @TheBuenaVistaSF
Starting off strong with the old dog that doesn’t need to learn any new tricks! This is the Buena Vista San Francisco Irish coffee recipe, created in 1952 and still on this iconic restaurant’s menu. Paul Nolan—who has more than 40 years of experience pouring Irish coffees for Buena Vista Cafe patrons—shared the recipe with Amanda Marsteller from Liquor.com, and says it’s exactly the same as it was in the 1950s. Of course, to make it our own, we’re making this recipe using Flip Coffee’s seasonal Irish Creme coffee.
Ingredients
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Hot water
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2 sugar cubes (Buena Vista uses the C&H brand)
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4–6 oz. freshly brewed Flip Coffee Irish Creme Coffee
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1 ⅓ oz. Irish whiskey (e.g. Tullamore D.E.W.)
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Heavy whipping cream, lightly whipped or frothed
Preparation
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Fill a heat-proof glass or coffee mug with hot water to preheat. Once warm, discard the water.
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Add the sugar cubes and freshly brewed coffee to the glass, filling it ¾ full. Stir the sugar until dissolved.
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Add the whiskey to the coffee and stir to combine.
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Hold a spoon over the coffee with the back facing up, and gently pour the whipped cream over the spoon. This helps the cream to float rather than sink to the bottom of the cup.
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Serve and enjoy!
Note: You can make this recipe non-alcoholic by omitting the whiskey! Flip Coffee Irish Cream flavored coffee has plenty of Irish cream/coffee flavor and is naturally alcohol-free, so you can enjoy the classic taste without the buzz.
2. Super Simple Baileys Irish Coffee Recipe
Source: hiphipgourmet.com
Some old dogs don’t need to learn new tricks, and Baileys is the perfect example! The original Irish Cream, Baileys is a much-beloved liqueur and a classic ingredient for making Irish cream coffee. Combine with Flip Coffee Irish Cream flavored medium roast, and you’ve got the perfect Irish cream coffee with just a few steps. Make your coffee however you like it (French pressed works great), this recipe for Irish coffee is low-maintenance.
Ingredients
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2 oz. Baileys Irish Cream liqueur
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6 oz. freshly brewed Flip Coffee Irish Creme Coffee
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Whipped cream
Preparation
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Brew your coffee and pour 6 ounces into a mug.
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Add 2 ounces of Baileys Irish Cream and stir to combine.
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Top with whipped cream (from the can is just fine, and makes this recipe even simpler!)
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Enjoy!
3. Thin Mint Irish Coffee Recipe
Source: www.thekitchenwitchblog.com
Girl Scout cookie season is thankfully still in full swing during St. Patrick’s Day, and this Irish coffee recipe with creme de menthe is the perfect mashup of the two! Created by The Kitchen Witch, this is a cocktail unlike any you’ve had before. Bold, delicious, and decadent, the addition of Flip Coffee’s Irish Cream medium roast brings this unique twist on an old classic even more delightful.
Ingredients
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½ oz. Kahlua Mocha
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½ oz. Creme de Menthe
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1 oz. Irish whiskey (e.g. Tullamore D.E.W.)
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½ cup freshly brewed Flip Coffee Irish Creme Coffee
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Whipped cream
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1 Thin Mint cookie, chopped or crumbled
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Green sprinkles (optional)
Preparation
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Add Kahlua Mocha, Creme de Menthe, Irish Whiskey, and Flip Coffee to an 8-ounce coffee mug. Stir to combine.
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Top with whipped cream, then garnish with Thin Mint cookie crumbs and green sprinkles (if desired.)
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Enjoy!
Tip: Enhance the chocolatey goodness of this drink by dusting the top with cocoa powder!
4. James Beard’s Irish Cream Iced Coffee Recipe
Source: www.epicurious.com
To round out the best Irish coffee recipes, I had to include an iced coffee option, and this recipe from the legendary American chef, James Beard, is perhaps the perfect Irish coffee in chilled form. You can make James Beard’s iced Irish coffee recipe with cold brew coffee if you’d like, but brewing a strong cup of coffee conventionally was the chef’s recommended method and is better for dissolving the sugar. Of course, we’re using Flip Coffee Irish Cream medium roast to give this an extra twist!
Ingredients
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8 oz. freshly brewed Flip Coffee Irish Creme Coffee
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¼ cup heavy whipping cream
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1½ tsp. Sugar
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2 TBSP sweetened whipped cream (sweeten your own using sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, or your preferred sweetener, or buy pre-sweetened canned whipped cream)
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2 oz. Irish whiskey
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Freshly grated nutmeg and/or ground cinnamon
Preparation
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Combine the freshly brewed coffee, heavy whipping cream, and sugar in a mixing glass and stir thoroughly to dissolve the sugar. Cover and place in the refrigerator to chill.
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Add 1 TBSP of the sweetened whipped cream to the bottom of a 14-ounce glass.
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Stir the Irish whiskey into the chilled coffee, cream, and sugar mixture, then pour over the whipped cream.
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Fill the glass with ice and top with 1 TBSP sweetened whipped cream.
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Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and or cinnamon and serve immediately.
5. Irish Coffee Crème Brûlée
Source: @RhubAndCod
Now we’re entering the realm of Irish coffee recipes that won’t just impress, they’ll dazzle! Created by Susan Keefe of Rhubarb and Cod, this recipe for Irish coffee crème brûlée calls for a dark roast coffee, but we’re adding our own twist by including Flip Coffee’s Irish Cream flavored medium roast which has plenty of deep coffee flavor.
Ingredients
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1½ cups heavy whipping cream
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¼ cup freshly brewed Flip Coffee Irish Creme Coffee
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¼ cup Irish cream (e.g. Baileys)
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¼ tsp. kosher salt
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5 egg yolks
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¾ cup superfine sugar
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Boiling water
Equipment
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(5) ½ cup ramekins
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(1) 9 x 13” roasting pan
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(1) small saucepan
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(1) large heat-proof bowl
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(1) fine mesh strainer
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(1) culinary torch
Preparation
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Preheat the oven to 325°F.
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Combine heavy cream, Flip Coffee, Irish cream, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat gently until hot to the touch but not simmering. Do not allow the mixture to come to a boil.
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Whisk the egg yolks and ½ cup of superfine sugar in a large heat-proof bowl until the mixture is an even shade of light yellow.
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Slowly pour the hot cream and coffee mixture over the egg yolks, stirring constantly to temper the eggs. Go slowly to avoid cooking and scrambling the eggs. Continue stirring until the mixture is fully combined.
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Pour the combined mixture through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any stringy bits of egg.
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Arrange the ramekins in your roasting pan and fill each ramekin ¾ of the way with the crème brûlée mixture, leaving room at the top.
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Pour boiling water into the roasting pan until the water is halfway up the sides of the ramekins, then transfer the roasting pan to the preheated oven.
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Bake for 40–45 minutes or until the crème brûlée is set but still jiggly.
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Remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow them to chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours before serving.
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To serve, sprinkle the top of each crème brûlée with superfine sugar in a thin, even layer. Brûlée using a culinary torch to create a caramelized shell and serve immediately.