How Irish coffee was born, and Dead Rabbit perfected it

Opened in 2013 by Northern Irishmen Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry, New York City’s The Dead Rabbit is surely one of the world’s most awarded bars.
I can’t possibly list all the accolades they’ve picked up over the years, but they include multiple prizes for World’s Best Bar at both the prestigious Spirited Awards and the World’s 50 Best Bars.
The Dead Rabbit is world famous for its Irish coffee. And this episode you’ll hear Sean recount the messy incident that put them on the path to perfecting this somewhat neglected cocktail, further inspired by the legendary bartender Dale DeGroff.
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Also with us this episode is The Dead Rabbit beverage director Jillian Vose, who explains how the sous vide cooking technique enables the team to serve the Irish cocktail perfectly and consistently every time.
And if like me you’re based in Sydney, here’s a tip. You can try an Irish coffee that’s very similar to the Dead Rabbit’s at a bar in the city. Jillian visited the Duke of Clarence a few years ago to show them how it’s done, and they’ve since kept up the tradition.
Sean, Jack and Jillian have now published the definitive story of the Irish coffee in a new book titled When Whiskey Met Its Match, which sets the record straight that the cocktail was invented by a Northern Irishman, Joe Sheridan.
I hope you enjoy about this chat about one of my favourite cocktails. We also talk a bit about Irish whiskey, and the second Dead Rabbit book launching on February 22, called Paddy Drinks.
It’s a collection of cocktail recipes that Sean hopes will help fuel Irish whiskey’s ascendancy in cocktail bars across the world.