Welcome to the episode 26 of The Art of Drinking with Join Jules and Your Favorite Uncle

What are we drinking?

In this episode we talk about the history of Irish coffee, you’ll learn how to drink Irish whiskey, and how to make the BEST Irish coffee and BEST Irish coffee milkshake. Need we say more?

Now we must note a MUST STOP SPOT for an Irish Coffee, The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco, CA. They serve up 2,000 of them a day. However… they didn’t invent it… so give this episode a listen to get the full backstory.

Fun facts about Irish Whiskey:

Irish Whiskey rules date back to 1880

Irish whiskey needs to be distilled in the country of Ireland from a mash of malt and cereal grains. 

Irish pot still whiskey can only be distilled in pot stills within Ireland from a mash of cereal grains that are ordinarily grown in ireland. 

TYPES:

• Blended Irish Whiskey – about 90% of all irish whiskey. 

• Single Malt Irish Whiskey: made from 100 percent malted barley, and produced by a single distillery in a pot still

• Single Pot Still Whiskey: FKA pure pot still, this is a blend of both malted and unmalted barley distilled in a pot still. A style that is unique to ireland.

• Grain Irish Whiskey: a particularly light style made from corn or wheat, grain whiskey is produced in column stills rather than the often preferred pot still.

• Single Grain Irish Whiskey: a single grain is used in the fermentation.

• Puch een: Irish moonshine and not meeting the age requirement to be labled as Irish whiskey. White-dog is the American Whiskey version of Potscheen (potin). 

Brad’s Classic Irish Coffee Recipe & Jules’ Irish Coffee Milkshake recipe

Irish Coffee

• Warm a 6oz coffee mug / glass (clear is best if you want to show off)

• Add 2 sugar cubes to mug / glass

• Add 4 oz freshly brewed coffee – smooth and dark blends are best

• Stir until the sugar dissolves

• Add 1.5 oz of Irish Whiskey (only @tullamoredew will do)

• Stir one more time (this is the last time you’ll stir)

In another container, lightly whip 1 oz of heavy cream (heavy whipping cream is the same thing)

• In one hand hold your bar spoon so the spoon faces up and just under the surface of the coffee. With your other hand, pour your lightly whipped cream into the center of the spoon so the cream floats on top of the beverage. If you did it right, you’ll see a defined line between the cream and the coffee below. 

Sip your drink through the cold cream and never ever (EVER) stir your cream into the coffee.

Irish Coffee Milkshake… ya baby!

In a blender

• Add 2-3 Scoops vanilla ice cream

• 2 oz irish whiskey

• ¾ oz coffee liqueur

• 4 oz cold brew

• ½ oz brown sugar syrup, or maple syrup (uh, that’s Canadian)

Blend until smooth

Pour into your old school milk shake glass 

Garnish: crushed up thin mints or dusting of chocolate

We also have a Youtube video from our original Art of Drinking format from back in the day!

Get your Irish Coffee History Lesson by listening to the full podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts!

Tip: How to drink Irish whiskey

1. Neat – it’s approachable and a great entrance into appreciating whiskey

2. If you’re new to whiskey, start with blend (soft, sweet, easy peasey)

3. If you like scotch, go for the single malts (familiar territory minus the peate/smoke)

4. Bourbon drinkers would appreciate pot still (richer, more decadent)