The social drinker

There’s a scene in the 1999 version of The Thomas Crown Affair where the eponymous millionaire playboy, played by Pierce Brosnan, asks Rene Russo permission to ask her a “very personal question” at the end of their flirtatious meal. The question is whether she would like another hit of espresso, to which she replies that Crown hardly thinks she would sleep with the man she’s investigating — before she goes on to do just that.

Coffee at the end of the meal can mean different things to different people. For me, it usually means insomnia, unless that meal is breakfast. Which is a shame, because there are few better ways to end a big meal and help the digestion than a whiskey or brandy and a black coffee.

Plenty of drinks, from an Irish Coffee to the Espresso Martini, play on this combination of spirits and coffee, but in both cases, one has to make a good cup of coffee first. Making good coffee is a relatively simple task (filter paper, coffee, hot water) but a rare talent. Even very good restaurants make the mistake of making Americanos and other abominations, which means that drinks calling for coffee as an ingredient are rarely much good.

Happily, there is now an easy way to combine both drinks in one glass without the insomnia; Jameson Cold Brew. This ingenious drink is made from whiskey that is infused with coffee in a process that I don’t pretend to understand. This process produces a dark-looking 30pc whiskey that tastes very like somebody just poured black filter coffee into your whiskey, but it does not seem to keep you awake at night.

This is a seriously good drink. It’s easy to pour, and sip or drink on the rocks — I really cannot recommend it enough to those who like the taste of coffee and whiskey.

For some strange reason, this is a ‘limited edition’ and only available from O’Brien’s — but it is well worth tracking down.