Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Tuesday 17 March 2020

This Jan. 23, 2020 photo shows an Irish coffee in Amagansett, N.Y.
Associated Press
The secret to a great Irish Coffee isn’t what you’d expect

By ELIZABETH KARMEL whiskeys that are best sweetened with vanilla- of fresh, thickened cream, ened but not whipped.
Associated Press sipped slowly like a good bean syrup, chocolate or the bite of the whiskey was Layer the coffee, whiskey
Last summer, I traveled to scotch, bourbon or rye. caramel like a fancy coffee tamed, and it was heav- and cream in that order in
Ireland to learn about Irish Before I got to Ireland, I drink. They were all good, enly. a tall mug. In Ireland, they
whiskey, a spirit I knew rela- wondered if Irish Coffee but for me, one stood out. The Irish Coffee was so ex- use a heatproof glass mug
tively little about. The Irish there is like German Choc- After lunch one day, we ceptional that I asked the so you can see all the lay-
drink I knew better was olate Cake in Germany went to the Stag’s Head manager of the pub for ers. I succumbed and pur-
Guinness, which I enjoyed — an American creation. pub in Dublin. It sits at the the secret. He was hesitant chased an Irish Coffee mug
occasionally and use to But almost everywhere end of a pedestrian street at first to tell me, and then so I could recreate the ex-
make my favorite Choco- we went, we were served and has been a beloved said I wouldn’t believe it. I perience at home, but you
late Chocolate Cake. an Irish Coffee. And they part of the Dublin land- anticipated that he was can serve it in any heat-
Turns out, I am not alone were delicious. Way better scape for 250 years this going to say it was Ireland’s proof mug.
in my unfamiliarity with Irish than anything I had experi- year. It is a warm, convivial exceptional cream. But When I came home, I start-
whiskey. Today’s Irish whis- enced in the States. space, the perfect place that wasn’t it. ed making the Dublin pub’s
key industry is relatively These Irish Coffees were to experience a neat Irish The secret to a great Irish Irish Coffee with instant
young. It all but died out served in glass Irish Coffee whiskey with ½-pint of Guin- Coffee, it turns out, is instant espresso powder because
after Ireland gained inde- mugs, some plain, some ness on the side — my fa- coffee. that’s what I had on hand.
pendence from Britain in fancy and one even cut vorite order during my trip. That’s right, the instant cof- A spoonful of the powder
1922. In 1980, there were crystal. The transparent After consuming my first fee you can get at the gro- mixed with 5 ounces of boil-
only two distilleries, Bush- glass and the mug’s telltale round, I ordered an Irish cery store. He told me you ing water made the base.
mills and Midleton, mak- shape signaled that it was Coffee ``in the name of can’t use coffee that is too I added 1 ounce of Irish
ers of Jameson and other time for a pick-me-up. research.” I was not disap- strong, too flavorful or, in his whiskey and a big dollop of
well-known brands. Today Some versions of Irish Cof- pointed. The coffee was words, too “good.” Those thickened, heavy cream.
there are 31. Irish whiskey, fee in Ireland were simple flavorful but light, not bit- coffees will upset the bal- It’s important that the wa-
like other whiskeys today, is and plain, strong with whis- ter at all. It complemented ance of the drink. ter is boiling, because the
booming. key. Others had been ac- and softened the sharp Irish So, you need instant coffee, cream is cold and will cool
Distilleries now are making cessorized with a sprinkle whiskey; when you sipped Irish whiskey and the best off the coffee as you drink
balanced and nuanced of cocoa or cinnamon and it through the rich pillows cream you can find, thick- it.q