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Alcohol + Coffee? How to Make the Irish Version of "Sauce-Aroma Latte"

Published: 2026-01-27 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/27, Luckin Coffee recently launched their "Sauce-Aroma Latte" which caused quite a sensation, as its ingredients contain "Moutai," one of China's most renowned distilled spirits. But actually, this practice has long existed in Ireland! Using their country's specialty distilled spirit "whiskey" combined with coffee

Luckin Coffee recently launched their "Sauce-Aroma Latte" which caused quite a sensation, as its ingredients contain China's most widely known distilled spirit - "Moutai". But actually, this practice has long existed in Ireland! They use their native distilled spirit "whiskey" combined with coffee to create the renowned "Irish Coffee"!

The Origin Story of Irish Coffee

There are many versions of the origin story of Irish Coffee, but the most credible one is the story about discovering Irish Coffee due to a flight delay. In 1952, at an airport in western Ireland, all flights were delayed due to worsening weather. Stan delnplane, an American journalist who was supposed to return to the United States on that day's flight, was forced to wait in the airport for the weather to improve. So he went to the cocktail bar inside the airport, hoping to pass the leisure time with some alcohol. As we all know, cocktail bars not only offer specific drinks from the menu but also allow customers to communicate with bartenders to have them create cocktails that suit their current mood or taste. Stan then requested: "I'd like a cocktail suitable for this kind of harsh weather." The bartender understood immediately and began preparing: warming the spirits, brewing coffee, whipping cream, and after a series of impressive operations, placed a steaming hot cocktail in front of Stan.

After tasting it, Stan was greatly surprised. Although it was an alcoholic beverage, it was very heartwarming! So he asked for the name of this cocktail, and the bartender replied: "This is made by combining coffee with our local specialty 'whiskey', and we prefer to call it Irish Coffee!" After flights resumed, Stan bid farewell to the bartender and returned to San Francisco, USA. He shared his experience at the Irish airport with the owner of a café he frequently visited - Buena Vista Café, hoping that the café owner could recreate the coffee he had at the airport.

As hoped, the café owner successfully recreated Irish Coffee. After Irish Coffee was introduced at this establishment, it became deeply loved by Americans. It can be said that most Americans' knowledge of Irish Coffee comes from this café, and the shop became one of the famous tourist attractions in the United States. Today, Irish Coffee has its own dedicated glass, dedicated alcohol lamp holder, and dedicated competitions. In internationally renowned coffee and spirits competitions, Irish Coffee is a highlight product. Finalists must prepare two Irish Coffees and two other creative drinks, showing just how important Irish Coffee is!

How to Make Irish Coffee?

The reason Irish Coffee becomes a highlight in competitions is mainly because it tests contestants' understanding of whiskey and coffee, as both whiskey and coffee come in many varieties. When different types and flavors are intertwined, completely different Irish Coffees can be created.

Now let's move on to making Irish Coffee. This time, we'll share a safer method without an alcohol lamp. Preparation items: one glass (about 200ml), whiskey (30ml), hot black coffee (140ml), any syrup (10ml), cream (as needed). It's worth mentioning that there are no restrictions on the coffee used as an ingredient - any black coffee will work (pour-over coffee, espresso, moka pot are all acceptable).

First, prepare the black coffee: For espresso, you can use 18g of grounds to extract 36ml of liquid in 30 seconds, then add 100ml of 65°C hot water and stir well. For pour-over coffee, use 15g of beans and brew with a 1:10 coffee-to-water ratio.

After preparation, first pour the syrup and whiskey into the glass.

Then pour in the pour-over coffee, or espresso and hot water (totaling 140ml).

Finally, top with cream, and it's complete!

The first sip feels like a Dirty, with hot and cold layers. Without stirring, as you continue drinking, the flavor and texture will change, creating a very rich experience! Moreover, just by using different beans to extract coffee, the Irish Coffee you taste will be completely different! Friends with the means can try various combinations at home~ But for friends who don't drink alcohol, please consume with caution~