AN Irish coffee is widely enjoyed all over the world.
Coffee with a dash of whisky stirred in and served with cream on top has been served for over five decades and celebrated on 25 January every year – today!
It’s believed that on a cold, wet day in 1942, tired travellers huddled inside a restaurant run by chef Joe Sheridan at the small Shannon Airport in southwest Ireland.
To warm his guests, he served them hot coffee, spiked with whiskey and topped with whipped cream. A passengers asked if it was Brazilian coffee. Sheridan replied that it was Irish coffee.
A travel writer, Stanton Delaplane, brought Irish coffee to the United States after having it at Shannon Airport.
Delaplane introduced the idea at the Buena Vista Cafe on 10 November 1952.
After much trial and error testing, many samples and a another trip back to Ireland for a taste of the original, Delaplane, along with Buena Vista owners Jack Koeppler and George Freeberg, were able to replicate the delicious coffee and the method for floating the cream on top.
The best way to make an authentic Irish Coffee is to start with a warm glass two-thirds full of freshly brewed coffee. Stir in a teaspoon of sugar. Add one splash or shot of Irish whisky. Gently drop a dollop of whipped cream with a spoon on top – and serve.
