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Irish Coffee recipe

I love the Irish. I love coffee. And I double love whiskey. Together? Slay me now.

Another coffee recipe in our vast collection of coffee recipes. You might say we have a “thing” for coffee. And you would be right :)! No apologies here. This Irish Coffee is one of our favorite coffee “recipes” because it requires little skill, equipment, or special ingredients. Most likely you have everything you need already at home to make this coffee drink saving you a trip to the coffee shop! We like to keep it easy and accessible!

It’s one of the coffee drinks that you can make at home with just a coffee maker and some booze. Having said that…there’s a couple of things you should know about Irish Coffee:

It’s a strong as you want it to be. If you make Irish Coffee at home, you get to decide how strong the alcohol flavor is. For this recipe, we made it a little lighter because we want the coffee flavor to come through more. If you want the alcohol flavor a bit stronger, add more booze!
The glass matters. Yes, your coffee will cool more quickly in a glass than in a cozy mug. But Irish coffee is about the experience. You need to see those lovely layers and feel fancy.
The lightly whipped cream, versus regular whipped cream, does make a difference. Remember, to make it (and you will need to make it yourself!), you just need to start making whipped cream and stop whipping sooner than you otherwise would. This type of cream makes the perfect barrier to drink the coffee through, as the coffee really isn’t very sweet.

[yumprint-recipe id=’173′] I know that knowing this recipe won’t replace the need to head to your coffee shop often. Let’s face it, coffee shops do something for busy women similar to what a beer does for many men. It’s just our thing. However, if you are trying to cut back and save a little money OR next time you have a girl’s night…try this recipe. The combo of alcohol and coffee just can’t be beat.

Speaking of which, I may have a recipe that beats this Irish Coffee Recipe…

I KNOW…right!?! Best of all, those donuts are FAST. So you can whip up a batch of donuts to have with your coffee next Saturday morning. You’ll have the BEST day, ever :))!!

how to make your own cocktail umbrellas

Learn how to make a drink umbrella with this easy tutorial! Super easy and fun addition to your next party!

I have a dream. A dream of warmth, pretty cocktails, cabana boys, and lying about. In my dream, all of my cocktails –every single one- come with a cocktail umbrella. Probably a pink one. And delivered by a cabana boy whilst I lay in the warmth and chat with Nate. I don’t hear children in this dream. I don’t see dirty dishes or bills (nope, this dream is paid for) or grass that needs mowing.

Today I have an itty bitty part of my dream fulfilled…

Supplies for cocktail umbrella:

paper
scissors
wooden skewers
hot glue
tinsel garland (optional)

To Do:

Cut paper into circles about 3 inches in diameter (I used a mason jar as a guide)
Cut a slit into the circle up to the center of the circle.
Form the cocktail umbrella from the circle. Hot glue into place.
(I cut my skewers in half but use the size you prefer!) Hot glue the umbrellas onto the skewers.
For extra fun…cut up a bit of tinsel garland. Put a dab of hot glue on the top of your umbrella and dip it into the tinsel.

Now you too can have a dream worthy cocktail umbrella for your cocktail! Cheers!

Now you know how to make your own drink umbrella’s! Make a stash for New Year’s or parties and keep them in a drawer. Drinks are always better with an umbrella…wouldn’t you agree? Why not check out our great cocktail collection and include pretty umbrella’s for the glasses? Fun!

Manhattan Recipe and Old-Fashioned Recipe

Manhattan’s and Old-Fashioned’s are masculine and strong cocktails that should be in everyone’s cocktail making repetoire. Don’t get freaked out, these are quite simple to make and can take as delicious, if not MORE delicious, than your favorite bar’s version.

After a long hard week, I love to unwind by making myself a gorgeous cocktail, sitting by the fire, and listening to a book for a few minutes. An old-fashioned is one of my personal favorites because it reminds me of days gone by, black & white films, and old-school actresses.

You can find bitters at your local liquor store. If you don’t know where to look, just ask the clerk!

Tips and Tricks:

Sugar cubes and water can be substituted for simple syrup in these drinks.
Rub your rims with orange peel. This gives a little added flavor and complexity to the cocktail.
Don’t stir these drinks too much, or fill them with ice! You’ll water down the drink and “cloud” it. Just stir a bit and put in enough ice to cool the drink. Better yet, try flavored ice cubes or frozen fruit.

[yumprint-recipe id=’96’] Manhattan Recipe Variations:

Bourbon Manhattan Recipe: Substitute bourbon for the rye whiskey.
Black Manhattan Recipe: Substitute amaro for the sweet vermouth.

[yumprint-recipe id=’97’] Old-fashioned Recipe variations:

Old-fashioned sweet: This variation adds cherry juice to the mix. Use the same amount of cherry juice as bourbon.
Maple old-fashioned: Take out the sugar and water and substitute it for a tablespoon of maple syrup. One of my favorite drinks at a local bar uses a maple-infused bourbon…yum!
Mint Julep: This is a very popular bourbon drink that is similar to an old-fashioned. Skip the bitters, and instead muddle several mint leaves in the bottom of the glass with your sugar and water. This drink is best with TONS of ice. (Muddling is basically just crushing everything together to extract the juices. Keep the leaves in the glass when you serve it.)

Don’t forget to check out our absolutely most popular cocktails… Sex on a Snowbank and the Lemon Drop. I think you’ll love serving these up at your next dinner.