How To Create The Perfect Cream Float With An Irish Coffee

Before the espresso martini, there was Irish Coffee. That's right, back in the day when people wanted booze and caffeine at the same time, Irish Coffee was one of the best drinks available.

The elements of a proper Irish whiskey aren't anything too complicated. Simply add simple syrup or sugar to coffee, along with your favorite Irish whiskey. Then, top it all off with a dollop of whipped cream, and you've got a delicious warm cocktail. Nescafé claims that this drink is especially popular around the holidays when folks are looking to celebrate and cozy up together. Celtic Titles says that it also serves well as an after-dinner drink by combining two popular digestives of coffee and liquor. Of course, it can be enjoyed on its own as well.

While Irish Coffee is an incredibly simple drink to assemble, it deserves more than just a dollop of Cool Whip or something sprayed out of a can to top it all off. Making real whipped cream makes all the difference in the world when it comes to this classic cocktail, and is much easier to perfect than you might think.

According to MasterClass, in mixology, a float is used to refer to any substance that serves as a distinctive top layer of a drink. This can be the red wine that tops a New York Sour, or just the heavy cream on top of a white Russian. In the case of Irish Coffee though, it is the whipped cream that floats gently on top of the coffee. Celtic Titles says that the rest of the drink's elements should be assembled and mixed first to ensure that the sugar is dissolved. This will ensure that every sip tastes just right, and make the coffee stronger to help support the cream float.

Michelin Guide says that to make the cream float itself, simply give heavy cream and powdered sugar a "dry shake" for 20-30 seconds in a cocktail shaker or jar. Difford's Guide points out that dry shaking is when a cocktail is given a shake without any ice. Mixing up the ingredients like this at a warmer temperature allows them to better emulsify which will produce a foamier result. This quick shake is all it takes to set up your cream float.

You should be able to still pour it out of the vessel onto the coffee when it's finished. Celtic Titles adds that it's helpful to position a warm spoon just above the coffee while you pour. This will help the cream disperse evenly, and create distinctive layers.

According to Nescafé, this drink was first brought to the U.S. because bartenders seeking to recreate the drink couldn't get the cream float down correctly.

Weaver's Coffee & Tea claims that Irish Coffee originated in Limerick in 1943. The nearby Foynes Point airport was a popular layover for travelers flying to Europe at the time. One flight was forced to turn back, and land at the airport of a delay in its travels. Joe Sheridan was the chef at the airport at the time and felt bad for the passengers so he whipped up the drink and served it to everyone present.

Nescafé says that in 1951, travel writer Stanton Delaplane then visited Foynes Point and sampled Sheridan's delicious drink. He loved it so much that he shared it with Jack Koeppler who owned the Buena Vista Hotel in San Francisco. After many attempts to get the taste just right, and plenty of failed cream floats that sank to the bottom, Koeppler traveled to Limerick himself. There he met with Sheridan to discover how to properly serve the drink, and would later hire him at the Buena Vista Hotel to make them himself.