Irish coffee gets a bad rap, says Jack McGarry, bartender extraordinaire and co-author of the hypnotic cocktail guide The Dead Rabbit Drinks Manual. And it's partly deserved: "Too many people use old, bitter coffee." His secret? A fresh brew, of course — and also ultra-fresh cream and a good aged Irish whiskey. Here's how he makes his bar's signature drink.

 

Photography by Heather Ramsdell

"The cream can make or break the drink," says McGarry. Avoid the canned stuff, and try to pick up a pint at a farmers market or gourmet market if you can. And keep it very cold. Then pour it into a cocktail shaker, and shake it up hard. "You want to aerate it until you have a silky texture," says McGarry.

Bartenders like simple syrup — sugar dissolved in water — because it lets them add sweetness without the worry of gritty sugar falling to the bottom of the glass. McGarry makes his with demerara sugar. "It adds a roasted characteristic that goes well with coffee and whiskey," he says. He starts each drink by pouring 1/2 ounce of the concoction into a warmed glass. 

McGarry's pick is Sumatra coffee, because "it has just the right amount of earthy characteristics." Whatever variety you use, it should be freshly made and hot, so the drink becomes a contrast between "the cold consistency of the cream and the hot coffee," says McGarry. If you're expecting guests, you can make the components ahead: Put the coffee in a thermos, then whip the cream in advance and keep that in the fridge.