Irish Coffee Recipe: The Original 1943 Formula and the Art of the Floating Cream

On a wet winter night in 1943, a plane full of cold, exhausted transatlantic passengers turned back to an Irish airbase — and one quick-thinking chef changed cocktail history forever. What Joe Sheridan created that night at Foynes Port wasn’t just a warm drink. It was the Irish coffee: a perfect, enduring marriage of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and a collar of cold cream that you sip through rather than stir.

Eight decades later, the Irish coffee is still one of the most beloved coffee cocktails in the world, and still surprisingly misunderstood. Most people have had a bad one — a lukewarm, over-sweetened mess with aerosol cream sitting on top like a deflating balloon. This guide is about making the real thing: the one that makes you understand immediately why this drink has lasted so long.

The Story Behind the Irish Coffee

Foynes, County Limerick, was one of the most important aviation hubs in the world during World War II. As a flying boat terminal on Ireland’s west coast, it served as the main transatlantic departure and arrival point for civilian aircraft crossing between Europe and North America. Politicians, celebrities, diplomats — everyone of significance who flew the Atlantic in the 1940s passed through Foynes.

In the winter of 1943, a Pan Am clipper that had departed for New York was forced to turn back to Foynes due to deteriorating weather. It was late, it was cold, and the passengers were tired and rattled from the aborted flight. The staff scrambled to prepare food and hot drinks, and Joe Sheridan — the airport’s chef — added a generous measure of Irish whiskey to the coffees he was preparing.

A passenger, tasting the drink, asked if it was Brazilian coffee. “No,” Sheridan reportedly replied. “That is Irish coffee.”

The name stuck. Foynes closed as an airport in 1945 when Shannon Airport opened, but the Irish coffee lived on — first at Shannon’s restaurant, then through San Francisco travel journalist Stanton Delaplane who brought the recipe to the Buena Vista Cafe in 1952. The Buena Vista still serves Irish coffees by the hundreds every day, claiming over 30 million served since 1952.

The Non-Negotiable Elements

An Irish coffee done properly has four components, and each one matters:

Coffee. Strong, hot, freshly brewed. A double shot of espresso topped with a small amount of hot water works beautifully. Alternatively, very strong French press or moka pot coffee. It must be hot — the temperature gradient between hot coffee and cold cream is part of what makes the drink work.

Irish whiskey. Not interchangeable with Scotch or bourbon. Irish whiskey is triple-distilled, making it smoother and lighter. Jameson is the traditional choice — it’s what Joe Sheridan used. Tullamore D.E.W. or Bushmills also work well.

Brown sugar. Not white sugar, not simple syrup. Demerara or brown sugar adds a gentle molasses warmth that integrates with both whiskey and coffee in a way white sugar doesn’t.

Fresh cream, lightly whipped. The cream should be cold and only very lightly whipped — thick enough to float but still pourable. It goes on top and stays on top. You drink the warm, whiskey-spiked coffee through the cool cream layer. Aerosol whipped cream ruins this: it dissolves immediately and destroys the cream-to-coffee contrast.

The Classic Irish Coffee Recipe

Equipment

• A stemmed glass or heatproof mug, pre-warmed
• A spoon (for floating the cream)

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 120ml (4 oz) strong, hot coffee or Americano
• 45ml (1.5 oz) Irish whiskey
• 1 teaspoon brown or demerara sugar
• 60ml (2 oz) fresh heavy cream, very lightly whipped

Method

1. Pre-warm the glass. Fill it with hot water for 30 seconds, then empty it. A cold glass cools the coffee too quickly.
2. Add the whiskey and sugar. Pour the Irish whiskey into the warm glass and add the brown sugar.
3. Pour in the hot coffee. Fill the glass about three-quarters full with strong, hot coffee. Stir gently to dissolve the sugar completely.
4. Float the cream. Hold a spoon upside down just above the surface of the coffee. Pour the lightly whipped cream slowly over the back of the spoon. It will spread and float on top.
5. Do not stir. The cream must stay on top. Drink the coffee through the cream — do not stir it in.

The Floating Cream: The Technique

The cream must be lightly whipped — not to stiff peaks, not poured from a carton. You’re looking for cream that’s thickened slightly but still flows. The easiest test: it should coat the back of a spoon.

If the cream keeps sinking: Your cream isn’t whipped enough. Add another 30 seconds of whisking.

If the cream sits in lumps: It’s over-whipped. Add a splash of fresh cream and stir gently to loosen.

Choosing Your Irish Whiskey

Jameson — The classic choice. Light, slightly fruity, clean finish. Historically accurate.

Tullamore D.E.W. — Slightly sweeter with hints of vanilla and toasted wood. Works beautifully if you prefer a softer experience.

Bushmills — Slightly maltier, a touch more complex. Excellent for those who want more whiskey presence.

Redbreast 12 — A step up in quality. Rich fruit and spice notes. Worth it for guests.

Variations Worth Making

Baileys Irish Coffee

Replace whiskey with Baileys Irish Cream and skip the sugar. Float fresh cream on top. Richer, dessert-oriented.

The Iced Irish Coffee

Double shot espresso cooled slightly, over ice with Irish whiskey and brown sugar syrup. Top with cold cream poured over a spoon.

Spiced Irish Coffee

Add a pinch of cinnamon and a small star anise while brewing. Remove before assembling. Adds depth and warmth perfect for cold weather.

Irish Coffee at Home: Common Questions

Can I use decaf?

Yes, absolutely. Decaf works fine and doesn’t affect flavour significantly. A practical option for evening drinks.

What’s the best coffee to use?

Strong, fresh coffee with a medium-dark roast. Avoid very light roasts (too acidic) and very dark roasts (too bitter). Brazilian or Colombian single origin with chocolate and nut notes works beautifully.

Can I make Irish coffee in advance for a party?

Prepare the whiskey-sugar-coffee mixture in a thermal flask and keep hot for up to an hour. Float cream to order. Don’t assemble drinks more than 5 minutes before serving.

How much alcohol is in an Irish coffee?

A standard Irish coffee with 45ml of whiskey at 40% ABV contains about 1.4 standard drinks — less than a large glass of wine.

Pairing Irish Coffee

Works beautifully as an after-dinner drink alongside dark chocolate (70%+ cacao), chocolate brownies, or fruit desserts. For more, our coffee and food pairing guide covers the principles that make these combinations work.

The Living Legacy

Joe Sheridan eventually emigrated to the United States in 1952, the same year Stanton Delaplane brought the Irish coffee to the Buena Vista. He spent his later years in San Francisco and died in 1962 — but the drink he made for those cold passengers in Foynes continues to warm people nearly every day somewhere in the world.

Hot coffee, smooth Irish whiskey, brown sugar, cold cream. Four things. Don’t overthink it, and don’t cut corners on any of them.

For more warming coffee drinks, take a look at our guide to what is mocha coffee — another drink that balances sweetness, richness, and coffee bitterness in a satisfying combination.