Our classic, coffee-forward Espresso Irish Coffee is sweet and boozy, and perfect all year-round. Be ready to enjoy this sweet and smooth, indulgent drink in about as long as it takes to brew a hot cup a coffee.
Whether you are looking for a way to warm up on a cold evening or as an after dinner treat, this boozy Irish Coffee is perfect.
What is an Irish Coffee?
A sweetened coffee cocktail blended with Irish whiskey, and topped with a thick cream that floats on top. Though some people stir to mix in the cream, you are meant to drink through it to get the full effect. We like to use whipped cream, and top with freshly grated nutmeg for a more spicy profile.
Jump to:
- What is an Irish Coffee?
- Why You Will Love This Espresso Irish Coffee
- Ingredients
- Substitutions and Variations
- How to Make Espresso Irish Coffee
- More Recipes You Will Love
- How to Serve an Espresso Irish Coffee
- What to Serve with Espresso Irish Coffee
- Top Tip
- Frequently Asked Questions About Espresso Irish Coffee
- More Recipes You Will Love
- Espresso Irish Coffee Recipe
This Espresso Irish Coffee pairs well with many desserts. We love enjoying it with our creamy Eggnog Cheesecake Recipe (Instant Pot) version. And if you love caffeinated cocktails, you might also want to try our Peppermint Espresso Martini!
Why You Will Love This Espresso Irish Coffee
- Easy: Quick and easy to make, just brew yourself a cup of coffee and you are half way there.
- Warming Effects: With an extra boozy punch with the addition of dark rum, you'll be toasty warm in no time!
- Balanced Flavors: A slightly sweetened, bitter coffee taste with a creamy topping.
- Comforting: A warm cup of coffee is like a hug for your hands.
- Whipped Cream: It is a bit more sweet and dessert-like with whipped cream!
Ingredients
You just need a couple ingredients to make yourself this delicious cocktail.
See the recipe card below for the exact quantities of each ingredient.
- Espresso: You can water down 1 shot, use two, or use a strong coffee.
- Whiskey: Smooth and sweet, with a hint of spiciness. We prefer Jameson, but you can use any whiskey.
- Dark Rum: For an added boozy vibe, we like adding a dark rum for extra sweet-spicy flavors.
- Simple Syrup: Gives the cocktail a little additional sweetness. The amount here is preferential on how you take your coffee, as you will get some sweetness from the Whiskey and Rum.
- Whipped Cream: Used to make this cocktail a bit more dessert-like, but you can use a heavy cream if preferred.
For this recipe, you'll want to have on hand a measuring cups and spoons and shot glass, as well as a mug to serve it in.
Substitutions and Variations
Love this recipe but want to make it your own? Here are some helpful ideas for you to change up this recipe.
- Heavy Cream: Instead of topping with whipped cream you can lightly whip heavy cream into to soft peaks and spoon over to float on the top.
- Omit the Dark Rum: Keeping with a more traditional Irish Coffee you can leave out the rum.
- Coffee: Coffee and espresso are used interchangeably in this recipe, if you prefer to use coffee you can.
- Decaf: Decaf works well if you are sensitive to caffeine in the evening.
- Sugar: We love using simple syrup because it is often in our house, but you can add sugar to your coffee first while it is hot, and then add your booze.
- Baileys Irish Cream: We love our Baileys, sub the rum for an extra creamy Irish Coffee with Baileys.
How to Make Espresso Irish Coffee
Check out how quick and easy it is to make this Espresso Irish Coffee Cocktail.
In a heat proof mug add espresso (or strong coffee), along with rum and simple syrup.
Stir to combine and top with whipped cream. Garnish with nutmeg if desired.
Hint: I love using whipped cream because it is a fun addition and makes this a bit more of a dessert cocktail, but a traditional Irish Coffee uses heavy cream on top.
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How to Serve an Espresso Irish Coffee
Any heat-safe mug will do, this beverage won't last long!
- Stirred: A quick little swirl to incorporate the whiskey and sweetener and then add with your topping!
- Glass: Traditionally, in an Irish coffee mug, but any footed, heat-safe glass mug is best to keep it hot.
- Garnishes: Cold heavy cream slowly run off the back of a spoon is the traditional method to allow it to float, but whipped cream is an easier, and more fun way to enjoy this beverage.
What to Serve with Espresso Irish Coffee
This coffee flavored cocktail is great on its own, but also goes so well with desserts after a nice dinner. Here are some ideas to get your tastebuds going!
- Cheesecakes: The creaminess of cheesecake desserts are an excellent combination, we love having it with our Eggnog Cheesecake Recipe (Instant Pot) or Tiramisu Cheese (Instant Pot).
- Cookies: Our white Cake Mix Christmas Cookies or Cookies from Devil's Food Cake both go well with this coffee cocktail. Our Spicy Chewy Ginger Molasses Cookies are another great option to pair with this drink.
- Apple Pie: Our Apple Pie a la Mode recipe is a great pairing for this Irish Coffee, you can choose to leave the ice cream out (or not).
- Pecan Pie: Give our Costco Pecan Pie (Copycat) recipe a try.
- Chocolate Desserts: A decadent serving of our Dirt and Worm Cups (leave out the worms) is an excellent marriage of flavors. Alternatively, you can snack on a Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bar for another delicious and quick dessert option.
Top Tip
Preheat your mug with boiling water and allow it to sit for a few minutes, then empty it prior to making your cocktail. This will keep your beverage hotter for longer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Espresso Irish Coffee
Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about Espresso Irish Coffee.
Traditionally, in an Irish coffee mug. Any heat-safe glass mug with a stem/foot is best to keep it hot.
You want to stir an Irish coffee after you have added your sweetener (sugar or simple syrup), then top with heavy or whipped cream.
No, you typically would enjoy this beverage with freshly brewed coffee.
Since this is made with fresh coffee you would not want to make it ahead of time. You can whip up some heavy cream to soft or hard peaks (based on preference) in advance and keep in the fridge overnight. When you are ready to make the cocktail you can add your ingredients into your mug and top with the cream.
This recipe is a fairly strong one, so omitting the rum will lower the alcoholic content, but you can also minimize the amount of whiskey as we'll.
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Espresso Irish Coffee Recipe
Equipment
- Heat-proof Mug
- Shot Glass
- Measuring Cup
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 shots espresso about 60 mL
- ½ ounce dark rum
- 1 teaspoon simple syrup
Garnish
- whipped cream
Instructions
- In a heat proof mug add espresso (or strong coffee), along with rum and simple syrup.
- Stir to combine.
- Garnish with whipped cream if desired.
Notes
- In replacement of simple syrup, you can try maple syrup, honey, or sugar.
- Heavy cream can be used instead of whipped cream, you can pour it slowly over the back of a spoon, or lightly whip it to soft peaks and spoon it on top.
- Decaf works well if you are sensitive to caffeine in the evening.
Nutrition
We would be so grateful for you to leave us a rating and review on any recipes you try. If you make any alterations, let us know how they turned out.
Eva Filer says
This is such a quick recipe, we love making this on a chilly evening. Sipping through the frothy layer adds a nice depth to this hot cocktail.
Rick says
A nice nightcap. I tilted the recipe in favour of the liquor. 🫢😂
Eva Filer says
Haha, nothing wrong with that! Thanks for sharing.