Irish Winter Spiked Coffee

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 01/4/22
Irish Winter - whiskey spiked hot coffee

Matt Bowman / Photolibrary / Getty Images

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The Irish winter recipe offers a wonderful way to spike your coffee. It's a subtle transformation of the classic Irish coffee and is so easy to make that you'll be mixing it up regularly.

This recipe doubles up on the coffee flavor by adding a small shot of coffee liqueur, which gives it a rich sweetness. Backed by Irish whiskey and softened with Irish cream, it's a well-rounded coffee cocktail that makes a perfect after-dinner drink.

Ingredients

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a warm mug or Irish coffee glass, pour the Irish whiskey, coffee liqueur, and Irish cream.

  3. Fill with hot coffee.

  4. Stir to combine.

  5. Top with whipped cream. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • Serve this cocktail in a heated mug or glass to ensure it stays warm to the last drop. To heat it up, pour hot water inside and let it sit for a few minutes or fill it with water and microwave the glass for about 10 seconds.
  • For any coffee cocktail, select your brewing method carefully so you get the most flavorful cup of coffee possible. Rather than a standard drip brewer, consider using a French press or pour-over brewer as these produce a richer taste.
  • Additionally, you can only dress up poor coffee so much and no amount of liquor can improve it. Choosing quality coffee beans and grinding them yourself sets a better foundation for a great tasting cocktail.
  • You can whip fresh cream yourself and float it on top of the Irish winter, just like the Irish coffee. Or, take the super easy route and just grab that can of whipped topping.

Recipe Variations

  • If you want to use espresso, make it a caffé Americano by adding equal parts of hot water to a double shot of espresso. This should be the perfect amount of coffee for the recipe's combined liquor volume.
  • Call it an "Irish summer" if you like, but this recipe is excellent as an iced coffee drink. For this version, make cold brew coffee and you'll enjoy the purest flavor of the coffee bean. Chill the coffee before mixing it and, rather than regular ice that will water it down, freeze some coffee in your ice cube tray.


How Strong Is an Irish Winter?

About the same strength as wine, the Irish winter is not an extremely strong cocktail. When made with the recommended brands, its alcohol content is just 13 percent ABV (26 proof).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
241 Calories
2g Fat
18g Carbs
0g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 241
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 2%
Saturated Fat 1g 4%
Cholesterol 5mg 2%
Sodium 7mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 18g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 9mg 1%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 83mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)