Why National Irish Coffee day is January 25 instead of March 17 is beyond me. At first I thought it might be because Guinness was the official drink on St. Patrick’s Day (it’s not). Maybe it’s because it is usually cold in January and a nice hot cup of coffee with a kick hits the spot. Whatever the reason, I’m happy to celebrate.

Ingredients

• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 ½  ounces Irish whiskey (I like Jameson)
• Whipping cream
• Sugar to taste

Preparation

Pour hot coffee into a mug until it is about 3/4 full. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Add the Irish whiskey. Float the whipped cream on top – the idea is to sip the coffee through the cream. I make my own by mixing the whipping cream and a little bit of sugar with an electric mixer until it has thickened – a couple of minutes should do the trick.

If you don’t care for whipped cream on top, you may want to try adding some Baileys to the coffee and Irish whiskey, like they do at Natty Green’s Brewing Company in Raleigh. Great variation, especially if you like Baileys!

 Eat, drink and be merry!