cocktail review no. 33 - Prince Charles Coffee

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with the greatest pleasure that we announce the winner of the hot-drink category.

It's nice and simple, too, so listen up.

• 4 ounces hot coffee
• 2 ounces Drambuie
• 2 ounces heavy cream

Pour the hot coffee into an Irish coffee glass. Add the Drambuie and stir. Pour the cream carefully over the back of a teaspoon so it floats on top of the drink.
Bar none, this is the best hot drink I've ever made. When I took that first sip, I knew I was in love. You have the hot coffee providing a strong undercurrent of basic café flavor, with the spice and sweetness of the Drambuie (all of its strong points, in other words) riding shotgun. And for a binding agent, a rich overtone and a smooth finish, we have the heavy cream.
In The Bartender's Bible, Gary Regan gives this caution concerning hot drinks:

"Don't skimp."

Example: don't use whipped cream instead of heavy cream.

As someone who has (foolishly, superficially, wantonly) substituted one for the other, I can see where Regan is coming from. The PCC was the first hot drink I've made using real heavy cream...and let me tell you, it makes all the difference. The cream floats on top of the drink like an iceberg; you have to swim under it to get to the coffee/Drambuie goodness. It's a delicious submarine adventure. You can't avoid sipping a bit of the cream with the coffee and liqueur. Taken all together, these three ingredients form a heavenly triumvirate, a powerhouse of flavor and mellow smoothness, a comforting draught of the highest measure.

Seriously, Ben & Jerry's should make this drink into one of their ice cream flavors.
In summary, the PCC is a good one, folks. Forget the prince, it's fit for a king.

Now, I have three little notices to give out once you're finished drooling. At least two are alcohol-related.

Number one, I'm hosting a cocktail party tomorrow night, the first in some months. I'm even more well-stocked than I was before, what with the Bailey's and the crème de menthe I've acquired.

But I got my hands on something else. Something really special.

Absinthe.

Oh-ho-HO yes. The good stuff, too. Mata Hari, genuine Bohemian spirit, fresh out of the Czech Republic. The licorice flavor has been toned down to allow this particular brand to be smoothly mixed; Paradise for an aspiring barkeep like me.

Many thanks to my friend John for kicking through with the requisite $85. This proves that the Beatles were correct when they concluded "I get high with a little help from my friends."

Number two, using the impending party as an excuse, I finally managed to get my hands on some Irish whiskey. Bushmills. Gonna have me some Irish coffee...

And number three, I have a job. Yes. I do. Finally. Don't know how much I'm allowed to say about it here, though, so I'll content you with the knowledge that it's full-time, pays well, comes with benefits, gives me some free time to pursue journalism on the side, and best of all—involves flying.

No, I'm not smuggling drugs up from Mexico.

Don't act like you're not disappointed.