My first encounter with an Irish coffee was when I was in my late teens, winging it as a waitress in Brisbane, Australia. I was learning the ropes and trying to decipher the many alien drink orders that were given to me: “A schooner of Tooey’s, please”, “Bundy and coke”. I didn’t have a bloody clue what they were on about and nodded eagerly, “coming right up”. I would then scurry to the bar and phonetically speak out my orders to the amusement of colleagues who would correctly translate for me with an eye roll– “it’s a pint of beer and a rum and coke”.
Close to the end of service I was taking final drink orders for a sozzled party of about 20. Amongst the Whiskeys, bourbons and espressos some wise crack asked for an Irish coffee. Diligently, I repeated my line “coming right up”. After sending the alcoholic orders to the bar, I went behind the heavy duty coffee machines to get cracking on this Irish coffee. I searched frantically though the coffee beans we had as nowhere could I find the Irish coffee beans. “There’s only bloody Aribica beans, what the heck?” I thought to myself. After a thorough search I felt it reasonable to ask my supervisor where the Irish coffee was kept. To which he responded with a grin “you’re not a real waitress, are you?”….In truth no, I was not. I may have exaggerated my previous experience of being a plate collector at my local pub somewhat. I never forgot how to make an Irish coffee after that.
After honing my skills, making Irish coffees soon became one of my favourite waitressing duties, mainly because I got to stand by the shortbread pot, obscured by the metal bulk of the coffee machine and surreptitiously stuff buttery biscuits in my face. What I really loved was running the cream on the back of the spoon to the hot coffee below. A true skill by any standards, particularly in 35 degree heat and 90% humidity. I’d take my tray of well floated Irish coffees to the table with a sense of triumph and a brow shining with beads of sweat.
Back to the present day, I enjoyed a flashback to my youth when I was recently taught how to make the perfect Irish coffee by none other than bartender extraordinaire, Nick Strangeway. Famed in bartending circles globally Nick is the Don of bartending and I was a lucky lady to be given an audience with him whilst he showed me and some other guests at Jameson’s secret lab (underground bar) how to make the perfect Irish coffee. So please enjoy the below recipe.
I encourage you to make at home as the perfect nightcap come dessert to round off your dinner party.
Ingredients
35ml Jameson whiskey
90ml Medium roasted espresso coffee
10ml demerara and muscovado syrup (made easily by dissolving 2 parts demerara and 1 part muscovado sugar with boiling water – simples!)
30ml lightly whipped double crea (careful not to overwhip)
Trimmed vanilla pod or stick of cinnamon to garnish
Nutmeg for dustig
Method
1. Heat up your glass
2. Make your sugar syrup mix
3. Whip your cream
4. Brew espresso into a shot glass
5. Float cream on top – the best trick is to turn over a teasponn and slowly pour the cream on to the back of it so that the tip of the spoon is at an angle and gently touches the top of the espresso below. Fingers crossed it floats
6. Finally garnish with your cinnamon or vanilla and grate nutmeg on top. Voila!
https://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/
Written by Erin Goodall, FoodGoblin Northern Correspondent
