Coffee with a spirited twist

Have you ever tried coffee with alcohol? The flavours can work wonderfully together. Both coffee and alcohol call for moderation, and these drinks are best treated as occasional adult indulgences. Join us for a short history of the combination and several tried-and-tested recipes.

Coffee and alcohol — a long-standing combination

The story of Irish coffee is linked with an Irish airport, where bad weather left passengers waiting for many hours. To warm them, they were served hot coffee with whisky. Travelling journalist Stanton Delaplane helped bring the idea to the United States, where it became famous in 1952.

Irish coffee attracted enormous interest and is now served in cafés around the world. Yet the combination was not entirely unknown before then. Accounts also mention coffee with alcohol among Polish elites between the wars, when alcoholic drinks formed part of social traditions in many forms.

Not only for restaurants

Coffee cocktails appear in restaurants, bars and cafés. Some require a bartender's or barista's expertise, but delicious versions can also be prepared at home. You mainly need an understanding of the ingredients and the order of preparation.

Start with high-quality whole-bean coffee and a suitable spirit such as whisky, tequila, brandy or bourbon. Different liqueurs can be useful too.

Irish coffee recipe

1. Choose a suitable serving glass.
2. Warm it with boiling water for a few seconds, then empty it, so it retains the drink's heat longer.
3. Brew freshly ground coffee.
4. Add one teaspoon of brown sugar to the glass.
5. Pour in the coffee and stir. Add 40 ml whisky, preferably Irish.
6. Lightly whip chilled 30% cream using a shaker or mixer.
7. Carefully pour the cream over a spoon near the side of the glass, forming a separate top layer.
8. Do not stir. Your Irish coffee is ready to drink through the cream.

Traditional Caribbean coffee

1. Prepare a serving glass and warm it with boiling water, then empty it.
2. Brew freshly ground coffee.
3. Put one or two teaspoons of sugar in the glass.
4. Add hot coffee and stir to dissolve the sugar.
5. Add one tablespoon dark rum and one tablespoon Malibu. Stir.
6. Whip 30% cream with a shaker, jar or mixer.
7. Spoon it onto the coffee and finish with grated dark chocolate or cocoa.

Your Caribbean coffee is ready.

Iced Caribbean coffee

1. Chill the serving glass in the freezer.
2. Brew an espresso and leave it to cool completely.
3. Pour the cooled coffee into a blender. Add 20 ml white rum and one tablespoon of vanilla or cream ice cream.
4. Blend until foamy.
5. Pour into the chilled glass and add a few ice cubes.
6. Decorate with cocoa or chocolate shavings as desired.

Your iced Caribbean coffee is ready!

Coffee cocktails combine tradition with an art that continues to evolve. A carefully chosen spirit can reveal rich, previously unfamiliar flavour accents. The secret lies in skilfully combining ingredients and balancing them so each can express its character.