Here's a drink that many people claim to have come up with. I first came across it at The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco, which is famous for it. My version takes the drink back down to its basics, with spicy suggestions to add new dimensions to a classic. So long as you have coffee, Irish whiskey (McConnell's is a great new one), and fresh cream, you're in business. As far as proportions go, it's really up to you, sweet or not, more or less cream, etc. ( a thin layer of cream is traditional, pictured is how my wife likes hers).
Spiced Coffee: Add either Yemen or Reims to the ground coffee and brew as normal. I usually do 1/4 to 1/2 tsp per cup in a drip coffee maker, so 1-2 tsp for an 8 cup batch, for example.
Spiced Cream: In a jar with a lid combine the cream and spices and shake until it is thickened but still pourable. This is a fun thing to get kids to do, just make sure the lid is on tight!
Make the cocktails: Mix the hot coffee, warm whiskey, and sweetener and stir to mix and dissolve. You can use less or more sweetener as you prefer. Pour into two warm glasses that have a stem. Gently top with the cream. Some people pour this over the back of a spoon but I've found the temperature differential alone is enough to get a good separate layer if you pour slowly enough.
Drink through the cream, without a straw, and you'll get a lovely temperature contrast, plus a blend of spices from the coffee and cream.
Recipe Note
Variations & Ideas:
• For a change you can try sweetening the cream rather than the coffee. For this I recommend using confectioner's sugar as it will more readily dissolve.
• If you're in the always-iced coffee camp, try this: Brew your spiced coffee stronger if you can, then shake 3 ounces of coffee, 1 1/2 ounces of whiskey, and 1-2 teaspoons of simple syrup with plenty of ice. Strain into a collins glass over fresh ice. I find that you either need to whip the cream more to get a good float, or just stir it in without whipping. Either is great.
• You can make the above drink and top with ice cream or gelato for a float, just don't sweeten the coffee.
• Not a drinker? Try it minus the whiskey. Subbing 12 ounces of spiced brewed chicory coffee will replace some of the missing cereal notes you'd normally get from the spirit, and keep the proportions similar.
