Brown Sugar Irish Coffee

Irish coffee is an exercise in simplicity. Too much fuss and it loses its character.

You want a strong punch of coffee, a lingering warmth from the Irish whiskey, a touch of sweetness, and some cream to bring it all together.

Keeping this desire for simplicity in mind, one change that I’ve made to make my Irish coffee special is to use brown sugar in place of white. Its musky, molasses-y flavor bolsters the coffee and lends the whiskey a bit more heft.

Simple to make, but the result is anything but.

Resist the temptation to add coffee liqueurs such as Irish cream since, ultimately, that’s all you will taste.

However, one substitution that I do condone is swapping out the Irish whiskey for another liquor. If dark rum or perhaps Kentucky bourbon is more your game then by all means go right ahead. I’ve even seen a bartender friend of mine use barrel-aged aquavit, though that may require a Scandinavian heritage to appreciate it.

The recipe will make you plenty of both the brown sugar syrup and cream. The syrup can be stored in the fridge for a month. It’s fantastic with tea, plain coffee, or used in cocktails. The leftover cream can be used to top any dessert or served for brunch with pancakes or waffles.

Brown Sugar Irish Coffee Recipe

This recipe makes enough brown sugar syrup and whipped cream for several cocktails. Store the extra in the fridge until using.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 ounces freshly brewed hot coffee
• 1 ounce Irish whiskey

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