The weather is warming, spring is just around the corner, and St.Patrick’s Day is almost here. We think it’s the perfect time to bring out one of our all-time favorite coffees - Irish Cream!
This year, we decided to take things up a notch with our very own Irish coffee blend - Irish Cream Dream. Rich notes of smooth dairy cream, sweet caramel, and creamy custard swirl together in our new limited-edition coffee offering to give you an amazing Irish coffee experience.
Whether you’re making it on a sleepy Sunday morning or when you’re settling in for the night, you definitely don’t want to miss the easy three-step Irish coffee recipes we have below. And we also included a non-alcoholic version of our Irish coffee and Irish cream recipe, for those who don’t want to miss out on the fun but don’t want the buzz.
What Is an Irish Cream Coffee?
Irish Cream is a cream liqueur based on Irish whiskey, cream, and more flavorings. It is typically used to make Irish Cream coffee - a delicious drink for those who enjoy their coffee being a little extra and having a slight kick.
While there's alcohol in it (considering the whole drink is based around Irish Cream liqueur), it typically isn't enough to get you drunk - instead, it simply improves your mood, which is it is a preferred drink of choice for many for holidays like St. Patrick's Day, or cold winter evenings when you need something to warm you up.
At Angelino's, we understand that not everyone likes to drink alcoholic beverages, but they would still like to enjoy the flavor of this specific drink, which is why we prepared two recipes - one containing alcohol and one without it, so that everyone, no matter their drinking preferences, has a chance of tasting the iconic drink that is Irish Cream coffee.
Traditional Irish Cream Coffee (Alcoholic)
Ingredients
- 6 oz brewed Angelino’s Irish Cream Dream
- 1 tsp of brown sugar
- 1 tbsp of Bailey’s Irish Cream
- 1 shot of Irish whiskey
Directions
- Brew Angelino’s Irish Cream Dream into your favorite mug or coffee glass.
- Stir Bailey’s Irish Cream, whiskey, and brown sugar together well. Pour over brewed coffee.
- Enjoy!
Tip: For an extra flavor kick, add a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings or chocolate sprinkles to top off your coffee.
Non-Alcoholic Irish Cream Coffee
Ingredients
- 6 oz brewed Angelino’s Irish Cream Dream
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- ½ tsp of almond extract
- ½ cup of heavy cream
Directions
- Brew Angelino’s Irish Cream Dream into your favorite mug or coffee glass.
- Stir heavy cream, vanilla extract, and almond extract together well. Pour over brewed coffee.
- Enjoy!
Tip: For that extra Irish flair, add a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup on top. Yum!
How to Make Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur?
Don't have any Bailey's Irish Cream at home? You can always make your own! The making process is very quick and easy, and once you make this recipe, you can store the homemade Irish Cream in your fridge in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 months.
Here’s the best homemade Baileys recipe (in our humble opinion):
Ingredients
- 6 oz brewed Angelino’s Irish Cream Dream (you can substitute it with instant coffee granules)
- 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 2/3 cups of Irish whiskey
- 1 cup of heavy cream (or half and half)
- 2 tbsp of chocolate syrup
- 1 tsp of pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp of almond extract
Directions
Gather all the listed ingredients and put them in a blender. Blend on high speed until they incorporate, which typically takes about 20 to 30 seconds. Once it's done, transfer it to a container that you can tightly seal, and store it until you need it.
Tip: You don't need the best and most expensive whiskey out there to make homemade Baileys Irish cream. At the end of the day, once you combine all the ingredients, you won't be able to tell whether the whiskey used cost $40 or $4000.
How to Make Non-Alcoholic Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur?
Since we gave you a recipe for alcohol-free Irish Cream coffee, we couldn't not give you a recipe for an alcohol-free Irish Cream liqueur as well. Here's how you make it.
Ingredients
- 150 ml (about 5 oz) of double cream
- 50 ml (about 1.5 oz) of evaporated milk
- 2 tbsp of maple syrup
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 25 ml (about 1 oz) of freshly brewed espresso
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- pinch of finely grated orange zest
- ice
Directions
Add all of your ingredients to a large cocktail shaker, shake vigorously until the outside of the shaker feels cold and double strain into tumblers. And there you go - you can now enjoy your homemade Irish Cream (non-alcoholic version).
How Did Irish Cream Coffee Come to Be?
The history of Irish Cream coffee dates back to the early 1940s and a man known as Joe Sheridan. He was an owner of a little tavern in Foynes Port - a place many travelers chose as the place to find their breath before continuing their journey.
One day, a flight had to turn back midway due to unstable weather, and all the passengers who were on it were meant to stay at the inn until they could continue their journey. Seeing the faces of the stressed passengers, he decided to prepare a drink for them - something that would calm them down.
That's exactly how the first Irish Cream Coffee came to be - by mixing whiskey, whipping cream, and brown sugar. It's safe to say that the tired passengers loved the drink, as he received immaculate feedback.
It wasn't long till the word about the delicious drink spread around. Many tried to recreate the taste of the drink, but it wasn't easy, despite the rather simple recipe. One such person was Jack Koeppler, who specifically traveled to Foynes Port to meet Joe Sheridan and learn the recipe from him, taking what he learned back to America.
What Is the Difference Between Irish Cream Coffee and Irish Coffee?
Irish coffee and Irish Cream coffee, despite having similar names, are two different drinks. When preparing Irish coffee, you only need to use Irish whiskey, while Irish Cream coffee uses both Irish whiskey and Irish Cream. Also, in Irish coffee, brown sugar could be considered essential since it helps to cut the bitterness of coffee, while in Irish Cream coffee, it is more optional since the Irish Cream is already quite sweet.
The Bottom Line
Irish cream coffee is a staple in Ireland - it’s a perfect drink not only for colder winter months but also for any sort of celebration, regardless of when it’s taking place, due to its ability to improve mood rather than get you drunk.
However, perfecting the recipe, despite it only using a few ingredients, can take some time - take Jack Koeppler as an example. Remember - practice makes perfect, and, hopefully, after reading our article, it won’t take you long to master this delicious drink.
Irish Cream Coffee - Frequently Asked Questions
Can you serve Irish Cream coffee cold?
Although the drink is usually served hot, it can also be served cold. The making process is almost identical to how you would make regular Irish Cream coffee, with the main difference being that you add ice to the glass you're using. While you can wait until your coffee is chilled to add it to your glass, it's not a complete necessity, as the ice-filled glass will cool it down as you pour it.
Can I exchange the heavy cream in the non-alcoholic Irish Cream recipe for something else?
If you're vegan, you might not want to use heavy cream. Nothing's lost, as there are some alternatives that you can use, such as coconut milk (although note that this will give your drink a coconut flavor).
Which Irish Cream should I use to make Irish Cream coffee?
The most common choice that those looking to make Irish Cream coffee reach for is the Baileys Irish Cream or its non-alcoholic version. However, if you don't have access to it, or you simply want your drink to be completely done by you, you can make homemade Baileys Irish cream or, if you don't like alcohol, the alcohol-free Baileys version - we shared recipes for both above.
How much caffeine is in an Irish Cream coffee?
The exact amount depends on the specific ingredients you'll use, but on average, one serving of Irish Cream coffee is about 47 mg of caffeine.
What kind of whiskey is the best for an Irish coffee recipe?
The best option for a traditional Irish coffee would be any Irish whiskey - some of the most common choices include Jameson Irish whiskey, Knappogue Castle and Proper 12.
How to Make Your Irish Cream Coffee More Personalized?
While a traditional Irish Cream coffee is a classic and tastes amazing, you might want to make it more personalized to suit your preferences better. Here are some ways in which you can do it:
- Choose a flavored whiskey - Nowadays, there's so much to choose from in terms of whiskey that you don't have to restrict yourself to the regular one. From peanut butter to even maple-bacon flavored whiskeys, you can make as many variations of Irish Cream as you wish.
- Look for whiskey from a region other than Ireland - While Irish whiskey is a classic, many other regions produce their own, which have distinct flavor profiles due to where they have been made. Using, for example, Japanese whiskey, can help you spice up your drink.
- Opt for a different spirit - While it's not really going to be Irish coffee if you don't add whiskey, the recipe can still be used with other spirits. For example, reposado or añejo tequila creates a great combination with coffee. Another idea, coming from Scandinavia, would be to use aquavit instead of whiskey.
- Change the sweetener - Instead of adding sugar, you can experiment by adding some type of liqueur.
- Pick a different coffee flavor - Typically, coffees that fall more into the chocolatey notes are chosen as a part of this drink. However, if you want to change things up, you can opt for a coffee that has more fruit notes.
What other drinks can I make with Irish cream?
Have you made homemade irish cream but ended up with a little too much of it? You can use it to create other drinks as well, aside from Irish Cream coffee. Here are some examples:
- Irish Cream Hot Chocolate - Pour the Irish Cream into one cup, and prepare the hot chocolate in another one. Then, simply combine cream with the hot chocolate, and top it all with whipped cream or ice cream. You can also add some marshmallows, as well as chocolate sprinkles or cocoa powder for decoration.
- Mudslide cocktail - If you like Mudslide cocktails, you can use Irish Cream instead of regular cream to prepare them.
Irish Cream Chocolatini - Pour 75 ml (about 2.5 oz) of Irish Cream, 25 ml (about 1 oz) of vodka, and a little bit of chocolate syrup, along with some ice, into a cocktail shaker and shake well, until the texture of the cocktail becomes smooth and creamy. Serve it in a martini glass.
Share your creations with us (@angelinoscoffee) on social and tag #angelinoscoffee!
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*Angelino's Irish Cream Dream is a Limited Edition item. Grab it while supplies last!
