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.
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.
Tip: For an extra flavor kick, add a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings or chocolate sprinkles to top off your coffee.
Tip: For that extra Irish flair, add a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup on top. Yum!
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):
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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:
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 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!
*Angelino's Irish Cream Dream is a Limited Edition item. Grab it while supplies last!
