At this time of year, few things hit quite like an Irish Coffee done properly – rich, warming, and indulgently boozy. For renowned London cocktail bar Three Sheets, it’s a signature for a reason: a perfectly balanced blend of great whiskey, hot coffee, sugar, and softly floated cream – executed with precision. As the festive season settles in and the temperature drops, the Dalston favourite opens up its playbook, walking us through how to make their famous Irish Coffee, the ultimate Christmas warmer.

“Especially in the winter months, after a long lunch or dinner, if you want to finish with something indulgent, an Irish Coffee is definitely the way forward over an Espresso Martini,” says Max Venning, co-owner of Three Sheets, alongside his brother Noel. “We’ve done a few different takes on them, one with Madeleine-infused cream, and this version with buttered whisky. Good quality coffee makes all the difference, but basically any way you work it, it’ll be a hit. Serve table-side for extra points.”

Three Sheets Irish Coffee by Max Venning

• 25ml Buttered Irish whisky 
• 10ml Coffee Liqueur (Belvedere’s new Dirty Brew is perfect for this)
• 2 teaspoons Caster Sugar
• 25ml Espresso
• 75ml boiling water
• (or 100ml Strong Filter Coffee)

Layer Cream on the top – The cream you buy and the way you prepare it are key to this; you need extra-thick single cream. We use Ivy House Farm, and once you try it, you’ll understand why. We add a teaspoon of caster sugar to 200ml of cream and stir gently until it thickens slightly. If you’re preparing ahead of time, it will thicken slightly in the fridge. If it‘s too thick, stir through some extra cream, or a tiny splash of milk if you’ve run out. 

To layer the cream, dip a spoon into the coffee and lift it so the lip of the spoon is just above the meniscus, gently pour the cream into the bowl of the spoon so it spills over the lip, and floats over the surface. Once the surface tension has been established, you can move the spoon away and pour with abandon. After a few tries, and if the cream is right, you shouldn’t need the spoon at all, but maybe leave that to the professionals. 

Buttered Whisky

Melt 50g or a decent-sized knob of butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, until it foams, grate in a good amount of nutmeg, maybe a quarter and move the pan to combine. Once you get a slightly nutty aroma, pour the butter into a bowl containing 200ml of Irish Whisky. Put this in the freezer until the butter solidifies, and then crack the butter and pour the whisky out to use in the drink. This butter is wonderful to use in baking for a whisky kick, or if you’re feeling particularly indulgent, spread it sparingly on toast, with golden syrup and clotted cream.