Friday, December 20, 2013

Nespresso Irish Coffee


I've recently become obsessed with Irish Coffees after visiting New York's Dead Rabbit on a cold winter's day.  As the sky turned to darkness, we sat at the bar, sipping on the most perfect Irish Coffee I've ever had, made with sweetened coffee, Jameson Irish whiskey, topped with heavy cream and freshly grated nutmeg.  Glorious, I tell you.

Now, to test it out at home.  Armed with a Nespresso Pixie Espresso Maker and a Nespresso Aeroccino I was prepared to try to master the Irish coffee!  The maestros at The Dead Rabbit made it look so simple, effortlessly whipping up tipple after tipple.  I'm convinced that an Irish Coffee is a perfect holiday cocktail: warm, sweet, nostalgic, and of course, strong and concise.  It's a classic cocktail, and is sure to make your holiday tasty and memorable.


While I am an admitted coffee snob, I was pleasantly surprised to how the Nespresso held up in a boozy coffee cocktail, and the ease of the Nespresso machine makes late night libations easy and effortless.  You just turn it on, wait about a minute for the water to heat up, enter your selected cartridge (which come in the most delightful range of flavors and corresponding colors), and press the button to select the strength of coffee.  In the coffee cocktail, I recommend picking the larger, and thereby weaker version.



The Nespresso Frother is equally easy to use, add milk, and it on, and it froths away.  It even turns itself off so you don't have to worry about scalding the milk.  I'm starting to believe that Nespresso has designed its products for late night drinking schemes (and for imbibers a few drinks in), it's just too easy.  Unfortunately, I have not yet mastered the layering art of the perfect Irish Coffee.  But I will, dear readers.  In due time, in due time.





The classic Irish Coffee turned out to be a delightful tipple: sweet, savory, and of course, boozy and strong (just the way we like it).

Nespresso Irish Coffee

2 oz Jameson Whiskey
1 Nespresso cartridge
1 Bar Spoon Simple Syrup
2 oz Steamed Cream
Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Add whiskey to glass and add coffee.  Stir in a barspoon of simple syrup, and top with a layer of steamed cream.  Top with freshly grated nutmeg.


I also tried making an Irish Coffee with Baileys Cinnamon Vanilla liqueur, topped with steamed milk and freshly grated  nutmeg.  After the first sip, I'm pretty much convinced that this is the perfect application of both coffee and Baileys, perhaps the two were made for each other.  Baileys is my personal favorite of the dessert liqueurs on the market, and it's fantastic with Nespresso and cream.  Behold:




Nespresso & Baileys

1.5 oz Baileys Cinnamon Vanilla
1 Nespresso dark roast cartridge
2 oz Steamed Cream
Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Pour Baileys into a cocktail glass, add Nespresso coffee and top with steam cream and freshly grated nutmeg.










                             

Tune in to Gastronomista in the New Year - I have one of these amazingly simple and awesome Nespresso Pixie machines to give away to a very lucky reader!!!  

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