Traditional and world
Irish coffee
Irish coffee is hot coffee with Irish whiskey and sugar, topped with a layer of lightly whipped cream. It contains alcohol.
- Ratio About 5 parts hot coffee to 1 part whiskey, with cream on top
- Serve 180 to 250 ml, hot, in a stemmed glass
- Grind Medium
Written by the KAIVO team, Mumbai. Last updated 4 November 2026. Cite as: KAIVO, "Irish coffee", kaivo.in/pages/drink-irish-coffee
Irish coffee is hot brewed coffee mixed with Irish whiskey and a spoon of brown sugar, with lightly whipped cream floating on top. Many accounts say it was first served to cold travellers at Foynes airport in Ireland in the 1940s. You drink the coffee through the cream. It is for adults only, so do not serve it to children or before driving.
How it is made
- 01
Warm a heatproof glass with hot water, then empty it.
- 02
Add 1 to 2 teaspoons of brown sugar and about 150 ml of hot, strong coffee, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- 03
Add about 30 ml of Irish whiskey and stir.
- 04
Lightly whip cold fresh cream until it is thick but still pourable.
- 05
Pour the cream over the back of a spoon so it floats on top. Do not stir.
Brew it with French press, Automatic drip machine
A KAIVO blend for this
The Roar
The Roar is a dark roast with bitter chocolate, dark caramel and oak notes, which stand up to whiskey and sugar.
Dark roast, tasting of bitter chocolate, dark caramel, oak.
See The RoarQuestions
Does Irish coffee contain alcohol?
Yes, it contains Irish whiskey. A non alcoholic version can be made by leaving the whiskey out and using a little caramel or vanilla syrup.
Why is the cream poured over a spoon?
It slows the stream so the cream spreads and floats on the hot coffee instead of sinking into it.