The perfect Irish Coffee

Stiring your Irish coffee is akin to a henious crime. Never, ever do it. Ever. Because getting that cream to float is no mean feat. Here's how you avoid that lump of sugar in your last sip or dare I say it, cream that doesn't float! 

There's one trick, it's so simple and you will definitely be able to do it.

Firstly, here are your ingredients - Coffee (espresso or french press, preferably), brown sugar, whiskey and cream. The cream is not quite pouring cream but not whipped either. It's about half way between the two.

Take your glass and fill it with hot water, pop your spoon in. Do this before you even put the coffee on. Now, back to the job at hand.

Get the coffee going. While that's boiling / brewing take a look at your cream. If your cream is too thickly whipped, it will float on anything which might sound like a good thing but it's not. It won't taste right if the cream is just one big dollop at the top, this isn't hot chocolate & mashmallows! This is a serious beverage. And if the cream is too runny, it won't float. For example, you're using pouring cream - give it a gentle whisk for less than half the time it takes to whip it up for your average dessert, enough that it still pours but it has consistency.

When your coffee is ready, throw out the hot water from your (now warmed) glass and pour in the whiskey and coffee. Stir in the sugar - really well. Here's where it all comes together, take your warm teaspoon and place it at the top of the glass, where the edge of the spoon meets the liquid (beginners should use the back of the spoon).

Gently, pour the cream over the back of the warm teaspoon until you reach the top of the glass - did it float? Let us know!

Feeling adventurous? Here's a nice recipe from a great Irish craft distillery, Glendalough Distillery, using their own poitín rather than whiskey.