Irish coffee

Last updated
Irish Coffee
IBA official cocktail
Irish coffee glass.jpg
Traditional Irish coffee
Type Mixed drink
Base spirit
ServedHot
Standard drinkware
Irish Coffee Glass (Footed).svg
Irish coffee mug
IBA specified
ingredients†
PreparationPour the coffee into a preheated glass, add whiskey and sugar, and stir until dissolved. Pour cream slowly to form a distinct layer.
Irish Coffee recipe at International Bartenders Association

Irish coffee (Irish : caife Gaelach) is a caffeinated alcoholic drink consisting of Irish whiskey, hot coffee and sugar, which has been stirred and topped with cream (sometimes cream liqueur). The coffee is drunk through the cream.

Contents

Origin

Different variations of coffee cocktails pre-date the now-classic Irish coffee by at least 100 years.

From the mid-19th century, the Pharisäer and the Fiaker were served in Viennese coffee houses; both were coffee cocktails served in glass, topped with whipped cream. The former was also known in northern Germany and Denmark around that time. Around 1900, the coffee cocktail menu in the Viennese cafés also included Kaisermelange, Maria Theresia, Biedermeier-Kaffee and a handful of other variations on the theme.[ citation needed ]

In 19th-century France, a mixture of coffee and spirits was called a gloria.

Several places claim to have developed the modern recipe in the 1950s. One version is attributed to a Joe Sheridan, head chef at the restaurant and coffee shop in the Foynes Airbase [1] [2] flying boat terminal (about 15 km from present-day Shannon Airport, County Clare). [3] In 1942 or 1943, [4] [5] he added whiskey to the coffee of some disembarking passengers. [6] [3] [7]

Stanton Delaplane, a travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle , maintains he brought Irish coffee to the United States after drinking it at Shannon Airport. His version is that he worked with the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco to start serving it on November 10, 1952. [8] [9] [10] Sheridan later emigrated to work at the Buena Vista Cafe. [11]

Preparation

One method of adding the cream Making of Irish coffee on Coffee Right in Brno, Czech Republic.jpg
One method of adding the cream
Preparing Irish coffee by gently running the cream over a spoon into the glass. Dublin, 2022 Preparing Irish Coffee.jpg
Preparing Irish coffee by gently running the cream over a spoon into the glass. Dublin, 2022

Irish whiskey and at least one level teaspoon of sugar are poured over black coffee and stirred in until fully dissolved. [12] Thick cream is carefully poured over the back of a spoon initially held just above the surface of the coffee and gradually raised a little until the entire layer is floated. [13]

Variations

In 1988, the National Standards Authority of Ireland published Irish Standard I.S. 417: Irish Coffee. The standard has been cancelled at least as of 2020. [lower-alpha 1]

Although whiskey, coffee and cream are the basic ingredients in all Irish coffee, there are variations in preparation: the choice of coffee and the methods used for brewing it differ significantly. The use of espresso machines or fully automatic coffee brewers is now typical: the coffee is either a caffè americano (espresso diluted with hot water) or some kind of filter coffee, often made using a coffee capsule.

The cream used in some bars to make what is sold as "Irish coffee" is sometimes sprayed from a can. Some bartenders gently shake fresh cream to achieve a smooth layer on top of the coffee.[ citation needed ]

In Spain, Irish coffee (café irlandés) is sometimes served with a bottom layer of whiskey, a separate coffee layer, and a layer of cream on top; [15] special devices are sold for making it.

Some bars in Southeast Asia serve a cocktail of iced coffee and whiskey, sometimes without cream, under the name "Irish coffee".

Many drinks of hot coffee with a distilled spirit, and cream floated on top—liqueur coffees—are given names derived from Irish coffee, although the names are not standardised. Irish cream coffee (also known as Baileys coffee) can be considered a variant of Irish coffee, but involves the use of Irish cream as a "pre-mixed" substitute for the whisky, cream and sugar. Jamaican coffee would be expected to be made with rum; Highland coffee, also called Gaelic coffee, with Scotch whisky; Russian coffee with vodka; [16] Mexican coffee with tequila, and so on, and so forth.

Irish coffee in film

In the 1968 film The Love Bug , Peter Thorndyke and Tennessee Steinmetz meet one night and drink Irish coffee while discussing Herbie and Jim Douglas. Thorndyke then pours some into Herbie's gas tank, causing the car to spin out and stall the next day.

See also

Notes

  1. The standard can be obtained from Standards IE. [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Russian</span> Cocktail of vodka and coffee liqueur

The Black Russian is a cocktail of vodka and Kahlúa. It contains 50 ml vodka and 20 ml coffee liqueur, per IBA specified ingredients.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liqueur</span> Alcoholic beverage

A liqueur is an alcoholic drink composed of spirits and additional flavorings such as sugar, fruits, herbs, and spices. Often served with or after dessert, they are typically heavily sweetened and un-aged beyond a resting period during production, when necessary, for their flavors to mingle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manhattan (cocktail)</span> Cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters

A Manhattan is a cocktail made with whiskey, sweet vermouth, and bitters. While rye is the traditional whiskey of choice, other commonly used whiskies include Canadian whisky, bourbon, blended whiskey, and Tennessee whiskey. The cocktail is usually stirred with ice then strained into a chilled cocktail glass and garnished traditionally with a maraschino cherry. A Manhattan may also be served on the rocks in a lowball glass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margarita</span> Mexican cocktail of tequila and orange liqueur

A margarita is a cocktail consisting of tequila, triple sec, and lime juice. Some margarita recipes include simple syrup as well and are often served with salt on the rim of the glass. Margaritas can be served either shaken with ice, without ice, or blended with ice. Most bars serve margaritas in a stepped-diameter variant of a cocktail glass or champagne coupe called a margarita glass. The margarita is one of the world's most popular cocktails and the most popular tequila-based cocktail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baileys Irish Cream</span> Liqueur

Baileys Irish Cream is an Irish cream liqueur made of cream, cocoa and Irish whiskey emulsified together with vegetable oil. Baileys is made by Diageo at Nangor Road, in Dublin, Ireland and in Mallusk, Northern Ireland. It is the original Irish cream, invented by a team headed by Tom Jago in 1971 for Gilbeys of Ireland; Diageo currently owns the trademark. It has a declared alcohol content of 17% by volume.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liqueur coffee</span> Coffee-based cocktail

A liqueur coffee is a caffeinated alcoholic drink that consists of a shot of liqueur, mixed with coffee. It is typically served in a liqueur glass, often accompanied with cream and sugar. Coffee liqueur beverages are served in different fashions and can be found throughout many countries. One of the most popular liqueur coffee beverage is commonly known as Irish coffee. Liqueur coffee beverages are largely classified as cocktails as well as digestifs which are aimed at aiding the digestive process typically after a meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Layered drink</span> Beverage with separated layers

A layereddrink, sometimes called a pousse-café, is a kind of cocktail in which the slightly different densities of various liqueurs are used to create an array of colored layers, typically two to seven. The specific gravity of the liquid ingredients increases from top to bottom. Liqueurs with the most dissolved sugar and the least alcohol are densest and are put at the bottom. These include fruit juices and cream liqueurs. Those with the least water and the most alcohol, such as rum with 75% alcohol by volume, are floated on top.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby Guinness</span> Shooter of coffee liqueur topped with Irish cream

A Baby Guinness is a shooter, a style of cocktail, or mixed alcoholic beverage, intended to be consumed in one shot. A Baby Guinness does not contain Guinness stout. Its name is derived from the fact that it is made in such a way as to look like a tiny glass of stout.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shooter (drink)</span> Mixed drink

A shooter, or shot, is a small serving of spirits or a mixed drink, typically consumed quickly, often in a single gulp. It is common to serve a shooter as a "side" to a larger drink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B-52 (cocktail)</span> Cocktail of coffee liqueur, Irish cream, triple sec and Sambuca

The B-52 cocktail is a layered shot composed of coffee liqueur (Kahlúa), Irish cream, and Grand Marnier. When prepared properly, the ingredients separate into three distinctly visible layers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fizz (cocktail)</span> Type of carbonated alcoholic mixed drinks

A "fizz" is a mixed drink variation on the older sours family of cocktail. Its defining features are an acidic juice and carbonated water. It typically includes gin or rum as its alcoholic ingredient.

A carajillo is a coffee drink to which a liquor is added. Similar to Irish coffee, it is typical of Spain and several Latin American countries, such as Colombia and Venezuela, where it is usually made with brandy; Cuba, where it is usually made with rum; and in Mexico where mezcal or a coffee liqueur such as Kahlúa or Tía María may be used. Spices such as cinnamon and fruit such as lemon peel are commonly added to more elaborate versions in Spain. Carajillo is usually served in a small glass.

Stanton Hill ("Stan") Delaplane was an American travel writer, credited with introducing Irish coffee to the United States. Called "last of the old irreplaceables" by fellow-columnist Herb Caen, he worked for the San Francisco Chronicle for 53 years, winning a Pulitzer Prize for reporting in 1942.

Maple liqueur refers to various alcoholic products made from maple syrup, primarily in the Northeast United States and Canada. It is most commonly made by mixing Canadian rye whiskey and Canadian maple syrup. Maple liqueur is considered an important cultural beverage in certain Canadian festivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buena Vista Cafe</span> Café in San Francisco, US

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. The current owners also operate the Trident in Sausalito.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur</span>

Coole Swan Irish Cream Liqueur is an Irish cream produced from a blend of a single-malt Irish whiskey, Belgian white chocolate, and fresh cream. It’s alcohol content is 16 percent by volume. Made in Ireland, Coole Swan has headquarters on the owners' family farm in County Meath and bottled is in Bailieborough, County Cavan.

References

  1. Coyle, Cathal (1 December 2014). Little Book of Tyrone. The History Press. ISBN   9780750962841 via Google Books.
  2. "The War Room - Foynes Flying Boat Base". www.skynet.ie. Archived from the original on 2017-11-15. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
  3. 1 2 Our Irish Coffee Heritage, Foynes Flying Boat Museum, archived from the original on 2011-01-22.
  4. Joseph, Peter (12 January 2018). Boozy Brunch: The Quintessential Guide to Daytime Drinking. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN   9781589796782 via Google Books.
  5. "Irish Coffee Festival". 15 February 2003. Archived from the original on 15 February 2003. Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  6. "Irish Coffee", European Cuisines .
  7. "Foynes Irish Coffee Centre". Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum. Archived from the original on 2018-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-12.
  8. Nolte, Carl (November 22, 2006). "San Francisco: Coffee, cream, sugar and — Irish whiskey... but Buena Vista changed brands". San Francisco Chronicle. SF Gate. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
  9. Nolte, Carl (November 9, 2008). "The man who brought Irish coffee to America". San Francisco Chronicle. SF Gate.
  10. King, John (November 9, 2008). "SF bar celebrates 56 years of Irish coffee". San Francisco Chronicle. SF Gate.
  11. "Foynes Flying Boat Museum". 16 May 2011. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011.
  12. "Joe Sheridan's Original Irish Coffee Recipe". CoffeeCakes.com. Retrieved 2007-07-09. The sugar is essential for floating liquid cream on top
  13. "Traditional Irish Coffee Recipe". Good food Ireland. Archived from the original on 2009-11-25. Retrieved 2009-12-08.
  14. Standards, IE .
  15. "Recipes", Gastronomia vasca, archived from the original on 2003-10-04.
  16. "Russian coffee". DeLonghi.