Irish Coffee

When it comes to coffee, there’s a lot of talk about the Italian specialty drinks like espresso and cappuccino.  However, there’s something about the smooth taste of Irish coffee that is pretty damn intoxicating.  One sip of this magical brew and you begin to wonder why the Irish need any luck when they have such a great coffee beverage.

The story behind the Irish coffee is a fascinating one, as many coffee lovers have believed the lies of San Francisco coffee establishments that have laid claim to the creation of this intoxicating drink.  However, that’s just hot air you’re hearing as the true home of Irish coffee is Shannon Airport in Ireland.  You see, the Irish coffee drink was born out of necessity, as during World War Two, American travelers were forced to endure an 18-hour flight by seaplane and then a boat ride from the seaplane to the terminal at Shannon Airport.  As you can expect, this was not a particularly pleasant ride, but it was a lot worse during the winter.

On the boat ride from the seaplane to the airport, passengers justifiably complained that they were chilled to the bone during the winter months.  Eventually these complaints made its way to the manager of the Foynes Catering Service, Mr. Brendan O’Regan, who came to the conclusion that the hot coffee and tea being served to these passengers was just not enough informed the head chef of Foynes Catering Service about his worry.  Rather than ignoring this problem, this head chef (Joseph Sheridan) hit on the perfect drink that will keep these weary passengers merry during their arduous trip from the seaplane to the airport terminal.

What Sheridan produced was Irish coffee, an intoxicating brew that is still among the most popular coffee beverages in the whole world.  While the war may have ended and the trip between America and Ireland now considerably easier, if you travel through Sheridan Airport, you have to stop into the Sheridan Bar located in the Departures Lounge.  While you’re there, make sure to order an Irish coffee, as the Sheridan Bar continues to offer the original recipe for the Irish Coffee.

One of the most legendary drinks in the world; there are now numerous recipes for an Irish coffee.  There are different ways to tweak this delightful drink in the way that best suits your needs.  To make a great cup of Irish coffee, just follow these steps to make 4 to 6 Irish coffee drinks.  Once you get this down, feel free to experiment and make the perfect Irish coffee drink for you:

1. With an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.  Do this until soft peaks form then set this aside.
2. Mix together 2 tablespoons of sugar with 6 cups of strong, hot black coffee and ¾ cup of Irish whiskey.
3. Pour this delightful confection into some mugs and top it with the whipped cream you made in step one.
4. Drink it up buddy this is one delicious drink!

As famed Irish author Alex Levine famously said, ‘Only Irish Coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups – alcohol, caffeine, sugar, fat!’