An authentic Irish coffee with a chocolate twist! Melted dark chocolate combines with espresso coffee, brown sugar, and Irish whiskey, and finished with frothed heavy cream. Garnish with and a sprinkle of nutmeg and chocolate shavings around the rim for the ultimate cozy dessert!
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The Irish coffee was specifically crafted in Ireland with comfort in mind. Legend goes that a bartender working at one of the country's major airports was tasked with creating a beverage that would help rejuvenate weary travelers from the whipping rain and wind. And what better way to help bring a jolt of vitality to passengers than by serving them a shot of whiskey and espresso?
By adding a healthy dose of melted dark chocolate, of course!
Now obviously, chocolate wasn't part of the original recipe, but hey-- this is a chocolate blog, after all. Chocolate also shares the same flavor compounds as almost every type of spirit, making it an ideal pairing that elevates many traditional cocktail recipes like this one.
What is Irish Coffee?
Irish coffee is a mixture of coffee and Irish whiskey, lightly sweetened with sugar and topped with cream. And while Irish coffee is already considered a classic dessert, this recipe adds an extra layer by first including a healthy dose of melted dark chocolate, and then adorning with a sprinkle of nutmeg. Chocolate, coffee, and nutmeg are all complementary to one another, making this a well-rounded, decadent dessert choice!
Why Chocolate Lovers Make This Recipe
- Checks all of the dessert boxes -- for those occasions when you can't decide between chocolate, coffee, or a drink for dessert, now you can have all three in one!
- It takes 5 minutes -- while foraging in the pantry technically takes less time, are you really going to get the same satisfaction out of, say, a Poptart than a fancier, homemade dessert? Don't think so!
- Readily available ingredients -- you might already have all of the ingredients for this recipe on hand. If not, all of them can be found at your local grocery store.
- Fun for guests -- have you ever noticed that when you're out to dinner with a group and someone sees an Irish coffee on the menu, that suddenly the entire table orders one as well? That's because even though they are super simple to make, hardly anyone thinks to make one at home for themselves. Break the mold by being a hero to your friends and family at your next hosting engagement!
Ingredients and Variations
This decadent drink comes together with just a handful ingredients from around your kitchen, including:
Dark chocolate -- milk chocolate seems to dilute this recipe too much, making it too sweet and diffusing the impact of the deeper notes. Use a premium, unflavored dark chocolate whenever possible.
Dark-roast or espresso coffee -- dark-roast allows for the coffee to shine through without becoming too bitter. Again, go for a neutral flavor that will not drastically alter the final product.
Irish whiskey -- it wouldn't be an Irish coffee without it! And don't use Bailey's, since the Irish consider that a completely different drink (known as a "Bailey's Coffee"). To make a true Irish coffee, you must use Irish whiskey.
Demerara sugar brown sugar -- provides a more complex sweetness than white granulated sugar. If you don't have demerara sugar, then light brown sugar is a good substitute.
Double cream or heavy cream -- authentic Irish coffee uses double cream, which contains almost 50% milk fat. However, double cream is harder to find in the States, so feel free to substitute using heavy cream (roughly 36% milk fat) to maintain that luxuriously creamy texture.
Garnish: Teeling Whiskey famously uses ground nutmeg in their Irish coffee, while others favor chocolate shavings or even a simple espresso bean in the middle. Mix and match to your palette.
Tips for Success
- Don't worry about combining chocolate and water, as the ratios have been adjusted to prevent the chocolate from seizing. Just keep stirring until the mixture homogenizes.
- Use whole nutmeg and grate it fresh for the most intense flavor. Store bought nutmeg loses its potency after about one month.
- As mentioned above, froth the heavy cream in a separate mug. Hold a spoon upside down just over the glass so the heavy cream floats on top and doesn't bleed into the rest of the cocktail.
Storage Instructions
Since this drink can easily be prepared in a couple of minutes, I recommend preparing it on an as-needed basis, rather than making it ahead and storing for later.
Chocolate Irish Coffee
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- If needed, chop the dark chocolate into chunks. Add the chocolate to a heatproof bowl and microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between until fully melted. Scoop into an 8-ounce glass.
- Pour freshly-brewed coffee overtop, then add the demerara sugar and Irish whiskey and stir for 30 seconds.
- In a measuring cup with a spout, froth the heavy cream using the milk frother until thickened, 15-20 seconds. Hover a teaspoon with the underside facing up over the coffee mixture and pour the cream overtop.
- Garnish as desired with either ground nutmeg with an espresso bean, or simply use chocolate shavings and serve immediately.
