St. Patrick’s Day or National Irish Coffee Day? Or Both?
It was 1943, the depths of World War II, and a storm was brewing. Foynes Port near Limerick, Ireland was one of the largest airbases for flights across the Atlantic. One evening, a flight just an hour out had to turn back due to harsh winter weather.
Passengers, cold and dejected, crammed back into the crowded airport as overnight accommodations were being made and the passengers were being fed.
The young staff chef, Joe Sheridan, decided to make something special for the weary, weather-battered passengers. Starting with Irish whiskey (for the soul) and strong black coffee (for the body) a touch of sugar (for mood) and thick cream (for comfort) he created and served a special custom beverage.
It is said a hush came over the busy room as patrons sipped, and then sipped again, speechless as the innovative flavor concoction filled their senses and began to work its magic. Legend has it that one of the guests shouted out, “Is this Brazilian coffee?” to which Joe replied, “No…it’s Irish coffee!” A legend was born.
From there, Irish coffee would find its way to the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco, and variations on the recipe have evolved in a multitude of ways in every direction ever since. What hasn’t changed is the warm, soothing, comforting yet invigorating drink that once consumed becomes an instant favorite.
By the way, the Buena Vista Café entered the Guinness Book of World Records in 2008 for the world’s largest Irish coffee by creating a 15-gallon Irish coffee. Served in a 3-foot-tall glass, it was made with nearly 10 liters of whiskey, 10 gallons of coffee, a gallon of heavy cream, and more than 4 pounds of sugar.
The official National Irish Coffee Day is on January 25th (commemorating the day it was invented), but most people indulge in Irish coffee on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th.
Coffee Nerd Disclaimer: If you are a long-time reader of this blog, you know that I am a coffee nerd and have purist instincts when it comes to coffee. However, Irish coffee is delicious and I want to remain open to the myriad ways coffee can be used to create happiness in life. What I am saying is, I love the taste of strawberries, just as they are, but I would be a lesser being if I never had strawberries dipped in sour cream and brown sugar.
Irish Coffee Recipes
Here are a few recipes for you to enjoy this St. Paddy’s Day!
The Original Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
1.5 oz of Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
4 oz of Strong black coffee
2 tsp of brown sugar
1 oz of lightly whipped (unsweetened) cream
Instructions:
1. Use a clear mug and warm it with hot water.
2. Add sugar and coffee, stir until dissolved
3. Add Whiskey
4. Float cream on top
The Modern Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
1 oz of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey
0.5 oz of Bailey’s Irish Cream
4 oz of Greenwell Farms Dark Roast 100% Kona Coffee
1 oz of lightly whipped sweet cream
Instructions:
1. Use a clear mug and warm it with hot water.
2. Add sugar and coffee, stir until dissolved
3. Add whiskey
4. Add Irish cream
5. Float cream on top
6. Dust with a sprinkle of nutmeg
The Hawaiian Irish Coffee
Ingredients:
1 oz of Oahu’s Ko’olau Old Pali Road Whiskey
0.5 oz of Kahlua
4 oz of Greenwell Farms Dark Roast 100% Kona Coffee
1 oz of lightly whipped sweet cream with vanilla seeds
Instructions:
1. Use a clear mug and warm it with hot water.
2. Add coffee and Kahlua
3. Add whiskey
4. Using a quarter of a vanilla bean, scrape inner seeds into the cream with a teaspoon of sugar and whip. Float this cream on the coffee.
There you have it. I am pretty sure I will be making some of these in the next couple of weeks so let me know how yours turned out! If you have a unique version of the recipe, put it in the comments below.
Aloha!
