Restaurants›Big Bad Breakfast - Downtown Little Rock›Irish Coffee Recipe

Irish Coffee Recipe

Name: Big Bad Breakfast - Downtown Little Rocks Irish Coffee Recipe
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 1 cups strong freshly brewed hot coffee; 1.5 fl oz Irish whiskey (e.g., Jameson); 1 tsp demerara or dark brown sugar; 2 tbs heavy cream (very cold); 0.5 tsp optional: powdered sugar; 1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg or cocoa powder

Inspired by Big Bad Breakfast - Downtown Little Rock

Time10m

Serves1

Our Irish Coffee is modeled after the original recipe served famously at The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco.

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Ingredients

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Coffee & Alcohol

1 cups strong freshly brewed hot coffee1 1/2 fl oz Irish whiskey (e.g., Jameson)1 tsp demerara or dark brown sugar

Cream Topping

2 tbs heavy cream (very cold)1/2 tsp optional: powdered sugar

Garnish

1 pinch freshly grated nutmeg or cocoa powder

Method

Preparation

Warm glass

Preheat an Irish coffee glass (8–10 oz heatproof glass) by filling it with hot water for about 1 minute, then discard the water and warm briefly with a towel. A warmed glass helps maintain temperature and keeps the cream afloat.

Assemble Coffee

Pour the hot brewed coffee into the warmed glass, leaving enough headroom for whiskey and cream (about 1/2 inch from top).

Add the demerara or dark brown sugar to the hot coffee and stir until fully dissolved. The sugar should be hot and syrupy to help integrate with the whiskey.

Pour in the Irish whiskey and gently stir once to combine. Taste and adjust sugar if desired. This is the classic Buena Vista proportion: roughly 1.5 fl oz whiskey to 1 cup coffee.

Cream Topping

Lightly whip the very cold heavy cream to soft peaks. Optionally add the powdered sugar while whipping to sweeten slightly. The cream should be thick but still pourable — do not overbeat to stiff peaks.

Hold a spoon upside down over the coffee with the tip just touching the inner rim and gently pour the whipped cream over the back of the spoon so it floats on top of the coffee as a distinct layer.

Finish & Serve

Sprinkle a small pinch of freshly grated nutmeg or a light dusting of cocoa powder over the cream for aroma and visual contrast.

Serve immediately without stirring. The traditional way to drink is through the cream so the first sip is hot sweet coffee followed by cool cream.