Matt Kourie’s Irish Coffee Old Fashioned – A Stirred Coffee Classic

Espresso martini fans meet a stirred Irish whiskey coffee cocktail built on one cube and finished with a flamed lemon twist — perfect for St. Patrick’s celebrations and year-round imbibing.

The Modern Irish Coffee Old Fashioned Recipe (A Stirred Coffee Cocktail for Espresso Martini Fans)

In recent years, few drinks have captured global bar culture quite like the espresso martini. Coffee cocktails have surged in popularity from New York to London, turning the once-retro drink into a true modern classic. But for many espresso martini fans, there’s another lane worth exploring — the stirred coffee cocktail.

Enter Matt Kourie’s Irish Coffee Old Fashioned, a spirit-forward drink that brings together the richness of coffee and the elegance of an Old Fashioned build. Using Irish whiskey and coffee liqueur, the drink delivers the depth people love in espresso martinis while embracing the slow-sipping clarity of a classic whiskey cocktail.

This isn’t just another riff — it’s a perspective shaped by experience. Matt Kourie is the founder of New York’s premier cocktail festival, the New York Cocktail Expo, and the driving force behind the Long Island cocktail revolution since its inception in 2016. Over the years, he has awarded countless bars with “Best Cocktail of the Year,” “Tiki Throwdown,” and “Best Spirit in Cocktails,” recognizing New York’s top bars for their interpretations of the most iconic drinks in history — and the spirits that define them.

Timing matters. With month long St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, drinkers are searching for Irish whiskey cocktails, brunch cocktails, and festive drinks that feel both celebratory and elevated. This recipe sits perfectly at that intersection — a modern twist that honors cocktail history while speaking directly to today’s coffee-cocktail culture.

Style: Stirred modern classic

Spirit Base: Irish whiskey

Flavor Profile: Rich coffee, bittersweet spice, citrus aromatics

Glassware: Old Fashioned / rocks glass

Difficulty: Intermediate

Perfect For: After dinner, brunch, breakfast, or mid-afternoon

Irish Coffee has one of the most beloved origin stories in cocktail history. The drink was first created in the 1940s by chef Joe Sheridan in Ireland, who famously added Irish whiskey to hot coffee to warm weary travelers arriving at Foynes Airbase during a cold winter evening.

The drink’s fame spread internationally in the early 1950s when journalist Stanton Delaplane brought the recipe to San Francisco’s Buena Vista Café, where bartenders perfected the layering technique of coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and cream. Today, Irish Coffee remains one of the most recognizable whiskey drinks in the world.

Meanwhile, the Old Fashioned traces its roots even further back — to the early 1800s. The formula is elegantly simple: spirit, sugar, bitters, and water. Over time, the drink became the blueprint for nearly every spirit-forward cocktail that followed.

Combining coffee flavors with whiskey isn’t new — but applying the Old Fashioned structure to coffee creates something different: a drink that delivers roasted depth without losing the clarity and elegance that define classic cocktails.

• Irish whiskey provides smooth warmth and soft grain sweetness

• Coffee liqueur delivers deep roasted coffee flavor

• Angostura bitters add spice and balance

• Cacao bitters add subtle chocolate complexity

• The flamed lemon peel creates aroma and brightness

Matt Kourie’s Irish Coffee Old Fashioned

This drink intentionally avoids the shake-and-foam profile associated with espresso martinis. Instead, it leans into the clarity and structure of a classic Old Fashioned recipe, creating a coffee cocktail that is bold, aromatic, and incredibly balanced.

It also speaks directly to modern coffee culture. Some drinkers prefer their coffee light and smooth, others bold and high in caffeine. That flexibility is built into the drink itself — the optional half ounce of cold brew allows the cocktail to shift depending on preference, making it part and parcel of both the recipe and the broader coffee experience it represents.

INGREDIENTS:

2 oz Irish whiskey (Jameson recommended)

½ oz Mr Black coffee liqueur

½ oz cold brew coffee (optional for extra caffeine and coffee flavor)

2 dashes Angostura bitters

2 dashes cacao bitters (McMann & Tate preferred)

METHOD:

Add bitters, Irish whiskey, coffee liqueur, directly into a small Old Fashioned glass.

Add one large cube of ice.

Stir until properly chilled and integrated.

Flame a lemon peel over the drink, cut the peel into a zig-zag shape, lightly torch it, and place it on top of the cube.

GARNISH:

Glass: Old Fashioned glass

Garnish: Flamed lemon peel (zag cut)

This cocktail is built and stirred directly in the glass and not strained, allowing the drink to have proper dilution, temperature & slowly open as the cube melts.

Modern classic cocktails are constantly evolving, and events like the New York Cocktail Expo are where many of those ideas come to life. Bartenders gather to showcase creative riffs on traditional drinks, exploring how timeless templates can evolve for a new generation.

Across the global cocktail scene, craft cocktails have seen a dramatic rise in popularity, and drinks like the Irish Coffee Old Fashioned fit seamlessly into that movement — blending classic cocktail history with modern bar technique.

Every March, drinkers search for St Patrick’s Day cocktails that go beyond the predictable. Irish whiskey cocktails dominate menus during the holiday, but not everyone wants a sugary green drink or a heavy beer.

This recipe offers something different: a coffee Old Fashioned that keeps the celebratory spirit of Irish whiskey while tapping into the global obsession with coffee cocktails.

For people searching for an espresso martini alternative, the appeal is immediate. You still get rich coffee flavor and caffeine energy, but in a format that’s elegant, balanced, and designed for slow sipping rather than quick consumption.

It works just as well after dinner, during a relaxed brunch, or even as a mid-afternoon cocktail — a reflection of how coffee culture now lives far beyond the morning.

The best cocktails often emerge from simple ideas executed with intention. The Old Fashioned became legendary because it refined whiskey into its purest form. The espresso martini became iconic because it captured a cultural shift — where coffee and nightlife met in a single glass.

Matt Kourie’s Irish Coffee Old Fashioned sits directly between those worlds. It carries the energy of the espresso martini, the structure of the Old Fashioned, and the heritage of Irish whiskey — all in one glass.

As coffee cocktails continue to dominate global menus and St. Patrick’s Day continues to drive celebration and discovery, this drink stands as a clear example of how modern classics are born: through balance, adaptability, and a deep respect for both tradition and the moment.

What is the best espresso martini alternative?

For those who prefer a stirred drink, the Irish Coffee Old Fashioned offers the same rich coffee profile with a smoother, spirit-forward experience.

What are popular St Patrick’s Day cocktails?

Many drinkers gravitate toward Irish whiskey cocktails like Irish Coffee, Whiskey Sours, and modern riffs such as the Irish Coffee Old Fashioned.

Is there a stirred alternative to the espresso martini?

Yes. Drinks like the Irish Coffee Old Fashioned provide a stirred coffee cocktail option that delivers coffee flavor without shaking or foam.

What is a coffee Old Fashioned?

A coffee Old Fashioned is a whiskey cocktail that incorporates coffee liqueur or cold brew while maintaining the classic Old Fashioned structure of spirit, bitters, and controlled dilution.

What cocktails use Irish whiskey and coffee?

Classic Irish Coffee combines hot coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and cream, while modern drinks like the Irish Coffee Old Fashioned use coffee liqueur and bitters for a more refined, stirred version.