Today’s Spotlight is on Irish Coffee.

Irish coffee is a caffeinated alcoholic drink consisting of Irish whiskey, hot coffee and sugar, which has been stirred and topped with cream. The coffee is drunk through the cream. It’s traditionally served in a stemmed heatproof glass called a toddy glass.

Irish coffee has a deep coffee flavor with a boozy taste. The cream makes the drink taste full and rich.

There are many variations of Irish coffee, including:

• A variant of a latte that’s often 1/3 espresso and 2/3 steamed milk.
• A spin on Irish coffee that uses Baileys Irish Cream instead of cream and sugar.

 

Irish coffee is sometimes called Gaelic Coffee.

 

History

Irish coffee was invented in 1942 by Joe Sheridan, a chef at the Foynes Airbase flying boat terminal in Ireland. Sheridan wanted to warm up passengers, so he added Irish whiskey, brown sugar, and whipped cream to their coffee.

In 1952, Stanton Delaplane, a San Francisco Chronicle journalist, tasted Irish coffee at Shannon Airport. He was so impressed that he brought the recipe back to the United States.  Delaplane worked with Jack Koeppler, the owner of the Buena Vista Cafe, to recreate the drink.  Irish coffee became an airport specialty.

 

Here are some fun facts about Irish coffee:

• Irish coffee was invented on a stormy winter night in 1942.
• The west coast of Ireland was a key stop-off destination for air travel between Europe and the United States and Canada.
• According to legend, the name Irish coffee came about when an American passenger asked, “Is this Brazilian coffee?” and Joe replied, “No, that’s Irish coffee”.
• Joe Sheridan’s remains were brought back to California and buried at Oakland Cemetery just outside San Francisco.
• The Buena Vista Café in San Francisco, California, introduced Irish coffee to the United States in 1952.

 

Here is an Irish Coffee Recipe for you to try:

Main alcohol: Irish whiskey

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 oz (2 parts) Irish whiskey
• 1 oz (1½ parts) Fresh cream
• 1 tsp. Brown sugar
• 2 2/3 oz (4 parts) Hot coffee

IBA specified ingredients:

• 50 mL Irish whiskey
• 120 mL hot coffee
• 50 mL fresh cream (chilled)
• 1 tsp sugar

 

Preparation:

1. Heat the coffee.
2. Pour the coffee into a preheated glass.
3. Add whiskey and sugar and stir until dissolved.
4. Top with cream.
5. Serve hot.
6. Enjoy!

Drinkware: Irish coffee mug

 

Consumption

On average, Irish coffee is consumed 1.29 times per year. The United States generated the most revenue from Irish coffee in 2020, with US$67,663 million. The average per capita consumption in 2020 was 1.2 kg.

In Ireland, 62% of people drink coffee, and 63% of those people drink at least two cups per day. However, 73% of people buy no more than two coffees per week.

 

Celebrating Irish Coffee

January 25th is National Irish Coffee Day. It’s perfect to be celebrating Irish Coffee in the middle of winter since this classic hot cocktail was invented for that very reason. Let us know in the comments if you knew the story behind this boozy beverage.