Irish Coffee
Author
Discussion

Spydaman

Original Poster:

1,635 posts

282 months

Saturday 31st January 2009
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Fancied an Irish coffee tonight but how do you get the cream to float on top rather than sink the bottom?

Mobile Chicane

21,828 posts

236 months

Saturday 31st January 2009
quotequote all
Pour it on (slowly) over the back of a spoon. thumbup

Edited by Mobile Chicane on Saturday 31st January 21:33

Spydaman

Original Poster:

1,635 posts

282 months

Saturday 31st January 2009
quotequote all
Did that and sank straight to the bottom of the glass.

root 666

316 posts

209 months

Saturday 31st January 2009
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Stir a couple of spoons of sugar into the coffee and wait until the swirling stops.

Bend the handle of a teaspoon up to an angle that will allow you to "press" the bottom of the spoon into the surface of the coffee then slowly pour the cold (denser) cream into the bowl until it covers the surface to the required depth moving the spoon up as you go.

Works every time (although more difficult without sugar)

If you dip the rim of the glass into a saucer of the spirit it creates the impression of a much bigger measure than actually used.

God bless Berni Inns.

Edit; I've just realised that the last bit is spectacularly irrelevant if you're drinking it yourself.

Great when you're selling them at a fiver apiece though.

Edited by root 666 on Saturday 31st January 22:19

sherman

14,928 posts

239 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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You need to whisk the cream up slightly first to a thick pouring consistancy and the pour it over the back of a spoon. Dont know why butI find that brown sugar works better than white sugar but that could just be me.

Spydaman

Original Poster:

1,635 posts

282 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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Thanks for the advise. I'll try it again tonight.

anonymous-user

78 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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Out of interest, what do you call an Irish coffee if you don't make it with whiskey? I prefer brandy in mine, but have never known the right term for it.

whirligig

941 posts

219 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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Symbolica said:
Out of interest, what do you call an Irish coffee if you don't make it with whiskey? I prefer brandy in mine, but have never known the right term for it.
I used to work in a rather pretentious place in Edinburgh and every alchohol based coffee had a different term: eg

spanish coffee (grand marnier)
irish coffee (whiskey)
gaelic coffee (scotch whisky)
calypso coffee (tia maria)
caribbean coffee (dark rum)
royale coffee (cognac)
highland coffee (drambuie)
italian coffee (amaretto)

you get the picture!

missdiane

13,993 posts

273 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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I think if you half whipped the cream before pouring, you shouldn't need to sugar to help it float, even if it's without alcohol.

Semi hemi

1,801 posts

222 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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And for an extra "kick" the propellent in "cream" is nitrous oxide. as CO2 will sour the cream,
nonoI am in no way advocating the the inhalation of noxious substances and it will not do a great deal for your carbs/injectors eithernono

Edited by Semi hemi on Sunday 1st February 17:59

aaak

268 posts

207 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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warm your glass
if using a double measure of spirit warm that too.
good strong coffee, if using spirit add sugar, one heaped teaspoon should do.
If using liqueur then sugar shouldn't be necessary.
Aeriate cream (only to make it lighter)and pour it into a teaspoon sitting bottom down in the top of the coffee.

Once in the Royal Oak in Gent, Belgium a bar made the coffee for me which ended with three layers -an almost clear one on the bottom, coffee in the middle and cream on top, can anyone tell me how he did this as i've never beren able to replicate it?

Spydaman

Original Poster:

1,635 posts

282 months

Sunday 1st February 2009
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Failed again. I think I made the mistake of using single cream rather than double cream. Will try again tomorrow night.

sherman

14,928 posts

239 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
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Double or whipping cream only its not going to work at all with single cream.

Cream in an aresol can is cheating but does work.

Putting sugar in it just sweetens the bitterness that you get from the alcohol (unless your using sweet alcohol)

Almost any alcohol can be put in the glass (not tried absinthe though scratchchin)

Also a warm glass is a must as well though you can do this by just putting boiling water in the glass and leaving it whilst you whip your cream.

You dont need to warm the spirit your using as this will just burn off the alcohol. alcohol has a lower boiling point than water.

Edited by sherman on Monday 2nd February 00:14

aaak

268 posts

207 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
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adding sugar to the coffee alters the gravity of the drink and allows the cream to float. Without sugar the cream wil very rarely float
If your adding lots of cold alcohol you cool the drink prematurely -especially if you have lots of cold cream on top. Baileys is the worst for this
Cream, in my opinion, needs just a light whisk, thick or aerosol cream creates two parts to the experience and spoils the mingling of cream and coffee, hot and cold -the best bits of the drink

Semi hemi

1,801 posts

222 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
quotequote all
aaak said:
warm your glass
if using a double measure of spirit warm that too.
good strong coffee, if using spirit add sugar, one heaped teaspoon should do.
If using liqueur then sugar shouldn't be necessary.
Aeriate cream (only to make it lighter)and pour it into a teaspoon sitting bottom down in the top of the coffee.

Once in the Royal Oak in Gent, Belgium a bar made the coffee for me which ended with three layers -an almost clear one on the bottom, coffee in the middle and cream on top, can anyone tell me how he did this as i've never beren able to replicate it?
Coffee in 1st, cold liquer slowly down the side of the glass, top with cream

missdiane

13,993 posts

273 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
quotequote all
aaak said:
Without sugar the cream wil very rarely float
I must be very lucky then, 100% success rate in floaters without sugar

aaak

268 posts

207 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
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Miss Diane -do you add spirit ( as opposed to liqueur) and is your cream only only lightly whipped (still runny)?
If so i am really impressed and would employ you anytime!

missdiane

13,993 posts

273 months

Monday 2nd February 2009
quotequote all
Black coffee, just off boiling, no sugar, no alcohol
Whipping cream half whipped still pourable, and slowly poured over the back of a spoon.

Had too much practice biglaugh

aaak

268 posts

207 months

Tuesday 3rd February 2009
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I think ( i'm not 100%) that alcohol lowers the gravity, hence the sinking and the sugar brings the gravity up again. without either the coffee can 'carry' cream -I got it to work too!

cramorra

1,687 posts

259 months

Tuesday 3rd February 2009
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Thought you had to use sugar cubes pur the whiskey over and light it before proceding with coffee and cream????