Irish Coffee
It was in 1942 that Joseph Sheridan first created what has become known as the “Irish Coffee”. This classic drink started off simply enough, having been created at the Foynes Airbase near Limerick as a way to provide a warm beverage to the cold and weary travelers. As the story goes, one such traveler who was cautiously eyeing this steamy beverage and its foaming topping innocently asked “Is this Brazilian coffee?”, to which Mr. Sheridan quickly responded “No, that’s Irish Coffee.” And thus the name was born.
The story of the Irish Coffee doesn’t stop there however. The fame of the Irish Coffee was slowly spreading, but its specific recipe was not. This troubled Jack Koeppler, owner of the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco. One night he challenged Stanton Delaplane, an International Travel Writer, to assist him in re-creating this distant recipe. After a lot of experimentation, they felt they didn’t quite have it right, and so flew to Shannon International Airport (formerly Foynes Airbase) to experience this drink at its source. Armed with this knowledge they headed home and were able to arrive at a perfectly tasting Irish Coffee. There was one problem however. Unlike the drinks they were served in Limerick, with the lightly whipped cream riding gently atop the coffee, all of their attempts resulted in the cream falling to the bottom of the glass. Further experimentation was required, and purely by accident they discovered that by allowing the cream to age for 48 hours, and then just very lightly whipping it, they could easily float it on the top of their drinks. This step was not required in Limerick, since it is an additive in American cream that was causing the problem.
Irish Coffee
- 4 ounces freshly brewed coffee
- 1 1/2 ounces Irish whiskey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar (or three sugar cubes)
- lightly whipped unsweetened cream
Pre-heat an Irish coffee glass with hot water.
Combine the coffee, and sugar in the glass, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the whiskey and stir again.
Float the lightly whipped cream over the top of the drink by gently pouring it over the back of a spoon.
The Irish Coffee has become such a part of the culture in Foynes, that they hold an annual “Irish Coffee Festival”. They aren’t holding one this year, which just gives you that much more time to make plans to attend next years festivities!
Hmmm, as a coffee-head, this one intrigues me. With the addition of alcohol and sugar, I don’t think that using my home roast is necessary as the flavors will be well covered up, yet alas, I cannot recall when I’ve had any *cheap* coffee in my house. In fact, I cannot remember when I’ve had any store bought in my house.
Anyway, I’m wondering what coffee would go better with this drink?
Something mellow with a deep body, earthy tones and no acidity like a Sumatra?
or
Something lively with floral notes and a high acid content like a Kenyan AA?