I was recently gifted an Irish Coffee Kit from Keeper's Heart and asked to create my own version of an Irish Coffee for Instagram. The whiskey itself is a unique blend of three whiskies: an Irish grain whiskey, Irish pot still whiskey, and American rye whiskey. It's aged 4 years and 86 proof, but an easy drinker and good every day pour. I get oak, vanilla, and a bright fruity, citrusy profile, layered with those rye baking spices on the finish. It's great on it's own, but can work really well in a cocktail (make sure to check out my previous ones in my Mixology section). I thought a fun spin on it would be to somehow incorporate an Irish stout into the drink, so I made an Irish Stout simple syrup. The syrup only requires two ingredients: Guinness and sugar. It really brought an added layer of depth and a nice malty sweetness to the Irish Coffee.
Irish Stout Syrup:
1 12 oz bottle of Guinness
1.5 cups sugar
Combine both ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir gently until sugar dissolves (you won't be able to see it, but you can feel it with your spoon). Allow it to come to a simmer and continue stirring occasionally for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a mason jar. Syrup will thicken as it cools. Once cooled, keep in the refrigerator. This syrup works great in cocktails or even over ice cream!
I finished it off with a homemade whiskey-infused whipped cream. This allowed the whiskey to remain the star of the show and incorporate those oak, vanilla, and spiced notes in a decadent, creamy layer on top.
Keeper's Heart Whiskey Whipped Cream:
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1 oz Keeper's Heart whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
Combine all ingredients in a mixer and mix on medium speed. Once incorporated, increase speed slightly and beat until stiff peaks form (be careful not to overmix).
To make your Keeper's Coffee add 1.5 oz of Keeper's Heart Irish + American Whiskey to your Irish coffee mug, followed by .75 oz Stout Syrup, then top with hot coffee and stir. Finish with whiskey whipped cream and shaved chocolate on top. This is definitely my kind of coffee, and I hope you enjoy it too. Cheers!
Wow! Loving all of the details! I still have to make a flavored simple syrup myself so this really helps! And maybe a boozy whipped cream too! Cheers to your special Irish Coffee!