Here's how to whip one up like an expert for Irish Coffee Week (January 20), says Sam Wylie-Harris.
An Irish Coffee is one of the most indulgent, warming treats on the planet, but in the wrong hands, it can be a third-rate muddle rather than a princely-offering. And as Irish Coffee Week kicks off on January 20, you want to get it right.
"There are some key elements to making a delicious Irish coffee," says Walter Pintus, bar operations manager, The Conduit, London. "However, mediocre ingredients and poor making have affected the reputation of this iconic Irish drink."
"Therefore," he adds, "make sure you use a fine and well-balanced coffee brew." And get your ratios right.
Plus, when it comes to the whiskey, Pintus uses Yellow Spot 12 Year Old Whisky.
How to make the perfect Irish Coffee:
Ingredients: 35ml Yellow Spot 12 Year Old Whiskey (£64.35, 70cl, The Whisky Exchange), 100ml hot brewed coffee, 15ml Clement sugar cane syrup, 25ml lightly whipped fresh cream, nutmeg for garnish.
Method: Fill a tempered glass with hot water and let it warm up for a few minutes. Remove the water, add the sugar cane syrup, hot brewed coffee and the whiskey, and stir together. Top with a layer of cream (pour slowly over the back of a spoon, so it sits on top) and garnish with grated nutmeg.
Top tip: "On top of picking a good coffee dram, I like to add a touch of spiciness with the sugar cane syrup - it enhances the taste with a consistent depth and complexity of flavour," notes Pintus. "The cream's texture - semi-liquid, not too thickly whipped - and its cold temperature are also important to ensure a small degree of blend with the hot coffee, but so it remains floating on top."
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