A homage to a favorite Rhode Island dessert, Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee is incredibly indulgent and cozy. It's one of my six New England-inspired Irish coffees!
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Alright, raise your hand and your glass if you love Irish coffee as much as I do! A warm cup of joe spiked with a little Irish whiskey and topped with cream—I mean, what could be better? I especially enjoy having Irish coffee drinks after work in the fall and winter—it's such a delicious way to take the edge off.
Now, pair that hot, spiked coffee with some of the best-loved flavors of New England, and what do you get? Irish coffee that's even more irresistible! That's exactly what I did with my six New England-inspired Irish coffee recipes. And this one pays homage to the Ocean State, Rhode Island—the Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee.
Jump to:
What is Irish Coffee?
Irish coffee is a lovely drink that will warm you right down to your toes! It's made with strong black coffee, a shot of Irish whiskey, and a brown sugar in the bottom of the glass for a little sweetness. The drink is topped with a layer of lightly whipped cream that floats on the surface. Some restaurants and bars make Irish coffees with an additional shot of Baileys Irish cream.
It's served in an Irish coffee glass—a heat-proof mug with a handle and stemmed foot. The clear glass shows off the dark coffee and white cream layers.
Irish Central shares that the drink was created by Northern Ireland-born Joe Sheridan in 1943, when he was working as a chef at Foynes Airport near Limerick. He came up with the drink on the spot one night when a cancelled flight left New York-bound passengers stranded and freezing cold at the airport. Sheridan knew cups of cream-topped, hot coffee spiked with Irish whiskey would revive them!
A decade later, an American reporter named Stanton Delaplane sampled Sheridan's Irish coffee at Foynes. He loved it so much that once back home, he recreated the drink with the help of friends at The Buena Vista Hotel cafe in San Francisco. The cafe began serving Irish coffee and even invited Joe Sheridan to come and work for them—which he did, for the next ten years until his death in 1962.
Today, The Buena Vista is still a destination for authentic Irish coffee. The hotel celebrates its role in making Irish coffee famous in the U.S. With glasses lined down the counter, the bartenders put on a show—flinging sugar cubes and dropping long pours of coffee and Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey down the row of glasses. The Buena Vista estimates that they serve 2,000 classic Irish coffees a day!
The inspiration for Rhode Island-style Irish Coffee
Rhode Island has plenty of treasured regional dishes and treats, like baked stuffies made with quahog clams, coffee milk, Del's frozen lemonade, and New York systems (hot weiners). There's another treat beloved by Rhode Islanders old and young, a decadent dessert that makes an appearance on birthdays, dinner dates, and other special occasions—it's the Death By Chocolate Cake from Gregg's Restaurants!
The first Gregg's opened in 1972 in Warwick, Rhode Island. The family restaurant quickly won over residents of the Ocean State with their comfort food lunch and dinner dishes, and homemade desserts. Gregg's became so popular that over the years the owners opened three more locations: in Providence, East Providence, and North Kingstown.
Four locations and 50+ years of service... that's a lot of generations of Rhode Islanders falling in love with Gregg's Death By Chocolate Cake!
And true to the name, this cake is beyond indulgent. It has six layers of tender chocolate cake spread with chocolate buttercream, and the entire outside is covered with chocolate chips. I took inspiration from this dessert masterpiece to create the Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee.
Six states of Irish coffee!
If you're feeling intrigued by this Rhode Island take on the classic drink, I have more for you to try:
- The Nutmeg State, Connecticut, inspired this cinnamony Snickerdoodle Irish Coffee.
- A splash of Maine's favorite spirit, Allen's coffee brandy, is the twist in Coffee Brandy Irish Coffee.
- Cider Donut Irish Coffee pays homage to New Hampshire's sweet fall treat.
- Vermont has the most delicious, pure maple syrup which sweetens this Maple Irish Coffee.
- Sweet Marshmallow Fluff is made in Massachusetts, and it also sweetens the Fluffernutter Irish Coffee.
Why you'll love this recipe
Irish coffee is a simple cocktail that turns a regular cup of joe into something extra special. Enjoy one to wind down after a delicious dinner, to warm up after a cold weekend day of skiing, or as a happy hour cocktail after work.
And it goes without saying that Irish coffees are a perfect way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!
To make a Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee, start by brewing up some strong coffee and gather up the spirits, the first of which is Irish whiskey. Go for Tullamore Dew, the same whiskey used at The Buena Vista in San Francisco. I like Knappogue Castle 12 Year, and also Redbreast 12 Year. If options (or funds) are limited, Teeling, Jameson, Paddy's, or Slane are good Irish coffee whiskey choices, too.
The rich chocolate flavor in this recipe for Irish coffee comes from three ingredients. The first is Baileys Chocolate liqueur, a really delicious, creamy spirit made with real chocolate! Second is a chunk of sweet milk chocolate dropped into the glass to melt under the hot coffee.
And third, I blend cocoa powder into cream to turn the traditional topping into a chocolate cream topping. To make this, all you need is a hand mixer—in one minute, you'll have a thick, chocolate cream to top the coffee. Or, pour the heavy cream and cocoa into a mason jar, cover it, and shake-shake-shake it until it thickens up!
It's the Irish coffee you love, with a luxurious, chocolaty twist.
Another Rhode Island fave!
Homemade Coffee Syrup
Use the delicious, homemade syrup to make coffee milk or as an ice cream topping.
🔪 How to make Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
- Heavy cream: Whipping cream will also work here. Make sure the cream is cold for the best results when whipping it.
- Cocoa powder: Add just a little cocoa powder to the cream to make it rich and chocolaty.
- Dark coffee: How dark you go is up to you! Brew coffee (I like Vermont Coffee Company) for the drink using your usual method: drip, French press, pour over, etc.
- Irish whiskey: Jameson is the brand everyone knows, but there's a wide variety out there to try. This list of inexpensive Irish whiskeys will give you some ideas.
- Baileys Chocolate: Look for this chocolate version of Irish cream stocked with other Baileys liqueurs. If your store doesn't carry it, use a creamy chocolate liqueur brand like Godiva.
- Milk chocolate: Use a good brand of chocolate; one I really like is Tony's Chocolonely. The chocolate goes in the glass and is also used to make chocolate curls.
Add chocolate to the glass
Place a square of milk chocolate into the bottom of a warm Irish coffee glass.
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Add the alcohol
Pour Irish whiskey and Chocolate Baileys into the glass.
Then comes the coffee
Pour strong, hot brewed coffee into the glass, and stir everything together.
Add the cream
Lightly whip the heavy cream and cocoa powder with a hand mixer until it's thickened but can still be poured. Pour the thickened cream on the surface of the coffee to create a creamy, floating layer.
Garnish and enjoy!
Use a vegetable peeler to pull a few chocolate curls off the milk chocolate, and add them to the top. Or, sprinkle some mini chocolate chips on top. If you have shamrock cocktail picks, add one of these, too. Enjoy!
FAQs
The original Irish coffee is made with just Irish whiskey, along with coffee, a little sugar, and a cream collar. However, these days, it's not unusual to find Irish coffee in bars and restaurants made with Baileys Irish cream or a blend of Baileys and Irish whiskey.
My Triple Chocolate Irish Cream Coffee recipe is made with 1-½ ounces each of Irish whiskey and Baileys Chocolate liqueur—about two shots in total. You can, of course, reduce the quantity of both liquors for a less potent drink.
Don't skip the step of warming up the glass before assembling the Irish coffee—this prevents the drink from cooling down too fast. Remember also to stir the sugar, liquors, and coffee together before adding the cream. Otherwise, the sugar may stay undissolved and gritty at the bottom. Finally, the cream should be lightly whipped—loose enough that you can pour it from a pitcher, but thick enough that it will float on top of the coffee. Pouring it over the back of a warm spoon helps it stay afloat.
Although it's not traditional, there's no reason why you can't enjoy your Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee cold! Add the chocolate and cold coffee to the glass, followed by the whiskey and Baileys Chocolate liqueur. Stir these together, then add ice. Spoon the lightly whipped chocolate cream (or sweetened chocolate whipped cream) to the top.
Tips:
- Choose an Irish coffee glass with an 8-ounce capacity or larger for this recipe.
- The cream thickens quickly with the addition of cocoa—check it often as you run the beater, and stop just when the cream is thick enough to sit on top of the coffee, but still liquid enough to pour.
Raise a warm glass of Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee and make a toast: to Joe Sheridan for inventing the drink and to Rhode Island for the flavor inspiration. Sláinte!
The Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee recipe is below. Here are more Irish recipes to try!
💬 Did you make and devour this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Triple Chocolate Irish Coffee
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Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 square milk chocolate
- 1½ ounces Irish whiskey
- 1½ ounces Baileys Chocolate liqueur
- 4 ounces hot, strong coffee
- Chocolate shavings or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Prepare the cream:
- Pour the cold heavy whipping cream into a small bowl—add in the cocoa powder. Use a hand mixer to beat the cream for about one minute—it will thicken quickly, so run the beater just until it looks thick enough to sit on top of the coffee. It should still be pourable.
- Hold the cream aside.
Warm the glass and add chocolate:
- Run hot water into an Irish coffee glass two or three times until the glass is warmed. Shake out any excess water, and dry the outside.
- Add the square of milk chocolate to the bottom of the Irish coffee glass.
Ass the alcohol:
- Pour the Irish whiskey and Baileys Chocolate liqueur into the glass.
Add the coffee:
- Pour the hot coffee into the glass. Use a spoon to gently stir the ingredients together.
Add the cream:
- Slowly pour the thickened chocolate cream over the back of a warm spoon onto the top of the coffee. It should float on the top to create a thick, creamy layer on the drink.
Garnish and serve:
- To make chocolate shavings, pull a vegetable peeler down the edge of a piece of slightly warm milk or semisweet chocolate. Place the curls on top. Another option is to sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the cream.
- Add in a shamrock cocktail pick and serve it immediately!
Notes
- Choose an Irish coffee glass with an 8-ounce capacity or larger for this recipe.
- The cream thickens quickly with the addition of cocoa—check it often as you run the beater, and stop just when the cream is thick enough to sit on top of the coffee, but still liquid enough to pour.
Nutrition
Christian says
So chocolaty and delicious!
Nancy Mock says
Yes, and chocolate and coffee are so yummy together 🙂 Thanks for the five stars!