The Original Irish Coffee Recipe and Its History (2024)

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What was the original Irish coffee? ›

The History Of The Irish Coffee co*cktail

He brewed up some hot coffee and added a shot of Irish whiskey to each cup. To sweeten the drink, he stirred in some brown sugar, and then topped it off with a generous dollop of cream as a float.

Classic Irish coffees are made with just four ingredients: hot coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar and whipped cream. Oftentimes in restaurants, Irish coffees are overwhelmingly sweet and rich.

The Buena Vista is a café in San Francisco, California, credited with introducing Irish coffee to the United States in 1952. The Buena Vista Café originally opened in 1916 when the first floor of a boardinghouse was converted into a saloon.

Baileys coffee is a spin on Irish coffee using Baileys Irish Cream instead of cream and sugar. Irish coffee is a classic co*cktail you probably already know: warm coffee with a shot of Irish whiskey, topped with whipped cream. The modern version was invented in the 1950's in Ireland.

Irish Coffee was created in the winter of 1943 by Joe Sheridan, chef at Foynes Port near Limerick, Ireland. Foynes had become one of the biggest civilian airports in Europe during World War ll and then an airbase for transatlantic flights that often carried political or Hollywood figures.

Following a bumpy flight in bad conditions in 1943, the story goes that a group of weary American tourists were given a coffee with whiskey and sugared cream to steady them by chef, Joe Sheridan. The drink's appeal, and with it, a modern sense of Irishness, would spread worldwide.

Put whisky into warmed glass, add coffee and sugar to taste. Pour cream over back of spoon to give thick coating on top. Sip the very hot coffee through the layer of cool cream.

Use a whiskey you'd drink neat. Old standbys like Jameson and Bushmills work well, but there's a new emerging class of good Irish whiskies to consider, like Slane and Teeling. The same goes for the whipped cream on top.

Buena Vista acquired the recipe from a renowned travel writer who obtained it from the true inventor: a bartender at Foynes International Airport in Limerick. While Ireland as a country prefers tea as their hot drink of choice, Irish coffee in particular is making a name for itself both in and out of Ireland.

The Irish Coffee was born on a typically stormy winters night on the wild west coast of Ireland in 1942. At that point in the early 1940s the west coast of Ireland, specifically Foynes in County Limerick, was one of the key stop-off destinations for air travel between Europe and the United States and Canada.

What are some fun facts about Irish coffee? ›

Irish Coffee originated in Ireland in the 1940s. It was invented to warm passengers in a cold airport on a winter night. The combination of hot coffee, Irish whiskey and creamy cream offered comfort and pleasure to the travelers. It quickly became a beloved drink that gained fame all over the world.

In Southeast Asia, you may see a co*cktail of iced coffee and whiskey, sometimes without cream, under the name "Irish coffee" served. Gaelic coffee is very similar to Irish coffee, but instead of Irish whiskey, Scotch whiskey is used instead. And in Russia, instead of Irish whiskey, vodka is used.

at The Buena Vista, and that is an excellent choice. Irish whiskey is mild by nature, and this is one of its ideal instantiations. Jameson, Bushmills, Slaine, Proper No. 12, and really any other entry-level Irish whiskey are all going to be excellent.

Kahlua is a dark liquid without the creaminess of Baileys. They both taste of coffee but kahlua is much stonger. If you want one to add to coffee I'd suggest Kahlua, but if you want one to sip alongside your coffee I'd suggest Baileys.

Kahlúa can be enjoyed on the rocks (try a White Russian), over ice cream (try an Affogato Martini), mixed within a hot drink (try a Kahlúa Coffee or Kahlúa Hot Cocoa), or used within baking recipes. You can also try mixing up one of our popular recipes, the classic Espresso Martini.

The Irish Coffee was born on a typically stormy winters night on the wild west coast of Ireland in 1942. At that point in the early 1940s the west coast of Ireland, specifically Foynes in County Limerick, was one of the key stop-off destinations for air travel between Europe and the United States and Canada.

Joe Sheridan's remains were brought back to California and buried at Oakland Cemetery just outside San Francisco. Two stones mark his grave, one of which reads: “Here lies Joseph A. Sheridan The Master Chef from Shannon, Ireland who created for the world the treasure known as Irish coffee.”

First invented in the UK in 1771, instant coffee first began as a 'coffee compound'. In the 20^th century, instant coffee finally found its market. In 1890, New Zealander David Stang developed a 'soluble instant coffee', followed by the Chicago chemist Satorio Kato in 1901.