Definition

Irish coffee (noun) A hot beverage consisting of black coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, topped with a layer of lightly whipped cream. It is typically served in a stemmed glass.

Usage

Irish coffee is used as a countable noun to refer to a single serving of this specific drink. It is a compound noun that functions as a single lexical unit.

Examples

• After dinner, he ordered an Irish coffee to warm up.
• The bartender is famous for his perfectly layered Irish coffees.
• Would you like to try an Irish coffee? It's a classic cocktail.

Advanced Usage

• As a Modifier: The term can be used attributively before another noun.
  • They serve a delicious Irish coffee cocktail.
  • We learned the Irish coffee recipe in our mixology class.

Variants and Related Words

• Coffee (noun): The base ingredient of the drink.
• Whiskey (noun): A distilled alcoholic spirit; Irish whiskey is the specific type required.
• Cocktail (noun): A mixed drink; Irish coffee is considered a type of hot cocktail.

Synonyms

• There are no direct single-word synonyms for this specific named drink. It can be described as a "whiskey coffee" or a "coffee cocktail," but these are not equivalent terms.

Notes on Meaning

This term refers exclusively to the specific combination of coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and cream. Using a different spirit (e.g., Scotch, bourbon) creates a different drink and would not correctly be called an Irish coffee.

Noun

1. sweetened coffee with Irish whiskey and whipped cream