“Irish Coffee is the perfect breakfast because it contains all four adult food groups: fat, sugar, caffeine and alcohol.”

To get in the St. Patrick’s Day mood this weekend, skip the green beer and fix up a glass of Irish Coffee.

This is a classic version for the popular coffee cocktail.

If you want to up the ante, use the spiked mascarpone-whisky whipped cream from this post in place of the plain whipped cream in step 3.

Irish Coffee

Ingredients:

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 cups strong hot coffee
3/4 cup Irish whiskey, such as Jameson
3/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

1. Combine the brown sugar and 2 Tbs water in a 1-quart saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar is just dissolved. This makes about 1/4 cup of syrup; depending on how sweet you like your Irish coffee, you may not need it all.

I really don’t like my coffee sweet, so I just sprinkle a little granulated brown sugar over the ground coffee before brewing. It gives the coffee just a hint of sugar.

2. Pour 1/2 cup of the coffee, 3 Tbs of the whiskey, and 2 to 3 teaspoons of the brown sugar syrup into each of 4 warmed 6-oz. glass Irish coffee mugs.

3. In a medium bowl, beat the cream with a whisk just until frothy and slightly thickened but does not yet hold a peak, about 1 minute. With a soup spoon, float about 3/4 inch of the lightly whipped cream on top of each coffee and serve immediately.

A friend, with whom I share an Irish connection, sent me a video today by the band Wild Belle.

I had never heard of Wild Belle, and liking what I heard in the video I spent awhile checking the band out.

Well worth the auditory investment.

Turns out that Wild Belle’s debut album was just released yesterday.

I love this funky, steeped in reggae tune.

Here is the video that was sent to me. The band is as fun to watch as to listen to.

Check out Wild Belle on the band’s Website, where you can link to buy their music. Upcoming SXSW shows and European/UK tour dates are listed here.

Cheers!