A nod to one of New Hampshire's best-loved autumn treats, cinnamony Cider Donut Irish Coffee is made with Irish whiskey and applejack. It's one of my six New England-inspired Irish coffees!
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Irish coffee is one of my all-time favorite hot drinks to make—I mean, I love coffee, I love Irish whiskey, so I guess it just makes sense! With its light sweetness and thick, creamy top, it really is a treat.
Now, put that hot cup of joe together with some of the best-loved flavors of New England, and that Irish coffee becomes even more delectable! That's exactly what I did with my six New England-inspired Irish coffee recipes. And this one pays homage to New Hampshire—the Cider Donut Irish Coffee.
Jump to:
What is Irish Coffee?
A cozy drink that will warm you up right down to your toes, Irish coffee is made with strong black coffee and a shot of Irish whiskey. A little brown sugar goes into the bottom of the glass, to give the drink a light sweetness. It's topped with a floating layer of lightly whipped cream. Some restaurants and bars add a shot of Baileys Irish cream to the drink, too.
It's served in an Irish coffee glass—a clear mug with a handle and stemmed foot. The heat-proof glass shows off the stunning layers of dark coffee and white cream.
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 Cafe in San Francisco. The cafe began serving Irish coffee drinks 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 and celebrates its role in making the hot, spiked drink 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!
Ireland travels!
Limerick, Ireland
When we visited Limerick, we found hurleys, tattoos, and Toasties!
The inspiration for New Hampshire-style Irish Coffee
Apple cider donuts are a Northeast favorite and that's especially true in New Hampshire. There are apple orchards up and down the Granite State, and chances are pretty darn good that you'll find cider donuts cooked up hot and fresh at most of them in the fall! And New Hampshire's donuts are not only at orchards—cider donuts are found year-round at farmer's markets, general stores, diners, and bakeries.
These tasty apple cinnamon donuts are made using real New Hampshire apple cider that's boiled down to thicken it and concentrate the flavor. Donuts bake up with a light texture thanks to baking powder in the dough, and are sweetened with brown sugar. The donut spices include cinnamon and nutmeg.
Fried cider donuts are sometimes sold plain, but I think they're the tastiest when they have a sparkly coating of sugar or cinnamon sugar. Apples, spices, sugar—that's exactly the flavor profile that I wanted to create in this recipe for Irish coffee.
Why you'll love this recipe
Irish coffee is simple to make and a delicious way to turn a regular cup of joe into something special—to finish off the evening after a delicious dinner, to warm up after a cold weekend day spent shoveling snow off the driveway, or as a post-work cocktail. And, of course, to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!
Gather up some strong brewed coffee and 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 choices, too.
To bring apple notes to the coffee, pick up a bottle of applejack or an apple brandy such as Calvados. Both are liquors made from fermented apples. Some varieties of applejack and apple brandy are aged for deeper, more complex flavors. The apple liquor is paired with warm spices in the glass to bring out the cider donut flavor.
And I know what you're thinking—what about the cream for the top? All you need is some heavy cream and a hand mixer: in two minutes, you'll have the thick, pouring cream to top the coffee. Or, pour heavy cream into a mason jar, cover it, and shake-shake-shake it until the cream thickens up!
It's the Irish coffee you love, with a sweet, spiced apple twist.
🔪 How to make a Cider Donut Irish Coffee
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Ingredients:
- Heavy cream: Whipping cream will also work here. Make sure the cream is cold for the best results when whipping it.
- 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 of Irish coffee whiskeys to out there to try. This list of inexpensive Irish whiskeys will give you some ideas.
- Applejack: Or apple brandy. Look for these stocked with other fruit brandies and liquors.
- Spices: To give this coffee a little cider donut flavor, get out your cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Brown sugar: It's a traditional sweetener for Irish coffee AND for cider donuts.
- Donut hole: Or a Munchkin, for all you Dunkin' fans! It makes a fun garnish on this drink. Use plain, glazed, or cinnamon sugar.
Add sugar to the glass
Mix cinnamon and brown sugar and spoon it into the bottom of a warm Irish coffee glass.
Add the alcohol
Pour Irish whiskey and applejack into the glass.
Then comes the coffee
Pour strong, hot coffee into the glass, and stir everything together.
Add the cream
Lightly whip the heavy cream with a hand mixer until it's thickened but can still be poured. Pour the thickened cream on the surface so it floats on the coffee to create a creamy top.
Garnish and enjoy!
Add a little nutmeg to the top, along with a donut hole on a cocktail pick. Then settle back and sip your Cider Donut Irish Coffee!
FAQs
Original Irish coffee is made with Irish whiskey only, along with coffee, a little sugar, and a cream collar. However, these days it's not unusual to find Irish coffee drinks in bars and restaurants made with Baileys Irish cream alone or with both Baileys and whiskey.
My Cider Donut Irish Coffee recipe is made with 1-½ ounces each of Irish whiskey and applejack—about two shots in total. You can, of course use a little less of both liquors for a less potent Irish coffee 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 Cider Donut Irish Coffee cold! Dissolve the sugar in the cold coffee, then pour it over ice in a glass, followed by the whiskey and applejack. Stir these together before adding lightly whipped cream (or sweetened whipped cream) to the top.
Tips:
- Choose an Irish coffee glass with an 8-ounce capacity or larger for this recipe.
- If you can't find cinnamon-sugar donut holes for the garnish, here's my trick: roll a plain donut hole in a little melted butter, and then in a blend of 1 part cinnamon to 4 parts granulated sugar. Roll the donut hole in the sugar mixture until it's completely coated and dry to the touch. Voilà—a cinnamon-sugar Munchkin!
Raise a warm mug of Cider Donut Irish Coffee and make a toast: to Joe Sheridan for inventing the drink and to New Hampshire for the flavor inspiration. Sláinte!
The Cider Donut Irish Coffee recipe is below, and here are more Irish recipes to try!
💬 How do you like this recipe? Leave a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Cider Donut Irish Coffee
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Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1½ ounces Irish whiskey
- 1½ ounces applejack or apple brandy
- 4 ounces hot, strong coffee
- Grated nutmeg
- 1 donut hole, plain, glazed, or cinnamon sugar
Instructions
Prepare the cream:
- Pour the cold heavy whipping cream into a small bowl. Use a hand mixer to beat the cream for one to two minutes—it should be thickened but still pourable, like the texture of melted Ben & Jerry's ice cream.
- Hold the cream aside.
Warm the glass and add sugar:
- 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.
- Stir the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small dish. Then, spoon the mixture into the bottom of the Irish coffee glass.
Add the alcohol:
- Pour the Irish whiskey and applejack into the glass.
Add the coffee:
- Pour the hot, strong coffee into the glass. Use a spoon to gently stir the ingredients together.
Add the cream:
- Slowly pour the thickened cream over the back of warm spoon onto the top of the coffee. It should float on the top to create a thick, creamy top to the drink.
Garnish and serve:
- Sprinkle a little grated nutmeg on top of the cream. Skewer the donut hole onto a cocktail pick and add it to the glass, so that the donut sits on the rim. (Or, lay the pick across the top of the glass so the donut rests in the cream just a little.)
- Serve the Cider Donut Irish Coffee immediately.
Notes
- Choose an Irish coffee glass with an 8-ounce capacity or larger for this recipe.
- If you can't find cinnamon-sugar donut holes for the garnish, here's my trick: roll a plain donut hole in a little melted butter, and then in a blend of 1 part cinnamon to 4 parts granulated sugar. Roll the donut hole until it's completely coated and dry to the touch. Voilà—a cinnamon-sugar Munchkin!
Nutrition
Christian Mock says
So delicious! A new favorite!
Nancy Mock says
I'm so happy you like it!