Happy St Patty’s Day everyone! Today is the day to celebrate the Irish and eat green foods and drink green beer.

I wanted to commemorate the occasion with a special drink. At first I thought of making Irish coffee, which is coffee with whisky, but I wasn’t feeling like having something so bold. So, I decided to tone it down a bit and make Irish cream coffee. Irish cream is a whisky based liqueur with cream and sweetener.

Instead of going out and buying an Irish cream (one popular brand is Baileys), I made my own! It was so easy and I think it is way cheaper than buying it in stores, especially if you already have a started bottle of whisky. I ended up finishing my whisky when making my Irish cream, so I just used the empty bottle as storage in the fridge.

I found a recipe from As Easy As Apple Pie blog (link here). I was amazed how simple it was and how few ingredients you needed – just half and half cream, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate syrup, instant coffee, vanilla and whisky. It sounded like quite a sweet mix but the whisky really cuts through it.

I’ve never had much Irish cream but it is really tasty. If you don’t want to make a coffee, the Irish cream is delicious on its own or served over ice. It’s creamy and sweet and you get the hit of whisky at the back of your throat. I also like the hint of vanilla and chocolate flavours that come through.

My coffee was quite simple to make, it was a shaken iced espresso with the Irish cream poured on top. I added a little extra sugar because I wasn’t sure if it would be sweet enough with just the Irish cream, but you can leave it out. I think next time, I will cut out the sugar because it was a touch too sweet for me. But everyone’s coffee preferences are different, so try it out and do what’s right for you.

Like I mentioned, I made a shaken iced espresso but you can make a regular iced espresso (not shaken) or iced coffee. The Irish cream would be equally delicious over hot coffee/espresso. This is a great change from your typical morning coffee, perfect for a relaxing weekend. You will love this Irish cream. As always, since this has alcohol, make sure you drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive.

Want another iced espresso recipe? Check out my copycat Starbucks brown sugar shaken iced espresso on tiktok or instagram reel!

Ingredients:

• 2 shots espresso
• 1/2 cup ice cubes
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• 2 tbsp Irish cream

Directions:

1. Place espresso, ice and sugar (if using) in mason jar or other bottle with lid. Shake for 20-30 seconds until foamy and sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour mixture into drinking glass (with a few fresh ice cubes) and top with Irish cream. Stir to combine and enjoy!