Celebrate St. Patrick's Day: Drink Like You're Irish

By: Liz Gray

Happy St. Patrick's Day! This year, skip the green beer (go for green cupcakes instead!) in favor of a real Irish drink. You'll forget all about emerald-hued light beer when you taste this traditional Irish coffee. Here's how to make it, plus recipes for cocktails featuring Irish whiskey, Guinness, Irish cream and more.

Some restaurants get fancy with their Irish coffee: Chocolate shavings on top, Irish cream-infused coffee, a torched-sugar crust atop the whipped cream.  That's all great for the other 364 days of the year, but today, why not go traditional?  Use this recipe straight from Dublin for your post-Guinness nightcap.

Original Irish Coffee

Makes 1 serving

Ingredients:
1 cup freshly-brewed hot coffee
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 jigger Irish whiskey (1 1/2 ounces or 3 tablespoons)
Heavy cream, slightly whipped

Directions:

Fill a footed glass mug (or any mug) with hot water to preheat it, then empty. Pour piping hot coffee into warmed glass until it is about 3/4 full. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Blend in Irish whiskey. Top with a collar of the whipped heavy cream by pouring gently over back of spoon. Serve hot.

More Irish Cocktails:

Want some Irish grub alongside your cocktails? Of course you do! Check out our collection of Irish Recipes.

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