If you thought Irish coffee was strictly for the winter months, you are happily quite mistaken. New Orleans is a city famous for its cocktails – from the Sazerac to the Hurricane; from the Absinthe Frappe to the French 75. These are all ideal for sitting and sipping, but if you’re looking for a cocktail you can take with you on a stroll on a hot summer’s day (and that is precisely one of the unique joys New Orleans offers) your best bet is a frozen cocktail, and the absolute best of the frozen cocktails is a frozen Irish coffee .
I had the great fortune to try one during a trip to New Orleans, at the Erin Rose, a small and beloved Irish dive. The bar, located just off Bourbon Street, feels like a little secret, worlds away from the commotion around the corner. Their motto? “Local prices, local chaos, local love.
” The bar’s greatest claim to fame is the frozen Irish coffee, and one sip was enough to understand why. A hefty pour of whiskey goes into a plastic cup (all the better for taking it to go), topped off by a frozen coffee concoction from a slushy machine, swirled around, and finished with a light dusting of chocolate and a straw. It’s cool and creamy; not too sweet and with a little caffeine kick.
The Erin Rose recipe is a secret, but some desperate Google searching revealed how to make a close approximation. It’s the perfect summer drink. Sign up to IrishCentral's newsletter to stay up-to-date with everything Irish! Ingredients Method H/T Erin Rose , Au.