Combine Affogato And Irish Coffee For The Ultimate Boozy Treat

Sometimes, you wake up on a cool fall day, glad that the morning is as hazy-looking as you feel. Other times, you're sweating bullets on the front porch during a sweltering August night, jonesing for a cold dessert to whisk you into the summer evening. Coffee sounds nice, but so does ice cream — and so does a stuff drink. Great news, folks: You can have it all. Introducing the Irish coffee affogato: the boozy, chilled dessert of your grown-up dreams.

If you've never tried an affogato before, it's more of a dessert than a drink. Traditionally, it's espresso over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The hot shot slightly melts the ice cream for a sweet, creamy, coffee-ice cream fusion. What could be better? That might seem like a rhetorical question, but it isn't: Add booze.

Just like you would when making a regular Irish coffee, grab your whiskey and Irish cream liqueur. Then, grab a pint of ice cream and some cold brew. Store-bought or homemade are both fine; This recipe could even be a thrifty way to use up that leftover half-cup of cold brew in the fridge that you never finished this morning (or yesterday, we aren't judging). To assemble, simply scoop the ice cream into a clear glass and top it with a few slugs of the Irish cream liqueur, whiskey, and cold brew. That's it. 

Start your Saturday morning off right, or punctuate any legendary meal with a proportionately stunning dessert. Plus, since this Irish coffee affogato is both spiked and caffeinated, it'll stave off a post-dinner food coma in style, or give you the pick-me-up to bare-knuckle box the hair of the dog in the morning.

This treat can be enjoyed at any time of the day, so feel free to exercise a little creative liberty with your recipe, too. Vanilla ice cream is standard for affogatos, but java, butter pecan, and rum raisin are all fair game. If you prefer a milder flavor, try using Sláinte Irish whiskey, which has subtle notes of vanilla, pastry, and pepper. Or, if you have a sweet tooth, give Peanut Butter Skrewball a whirl.

For a playful presentation at a dinner party, serve your Irish coffee affogato in a martini glass. In true espresso martini style, you could even garnish your treat with a few lightly-toasted espresso beans. If you have a little extra time on your hands, you could also make an extra-fancy version and turn this affogato into a layered dessert: Vanilla ice cream, a shot of espresso, Irish cream liqueur, and a small slice of vanilla pound cake. The cake will soak up a good bit of the moisture, leading to a kick of flavor in every bite.