Irish coffee may indeed be Irish, but on these shores, San Francisco’s Buena Vista Cafe has made it famous — and turned it into an institution — for celebrating and toasting on St. Patrick’s Day and beyond.
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Legend has it that the classic Irish beverage was created in a restaurant in the Foynes Airport in County Limerick, Ireland, in 1942 by chef Joe Sheridan. He sweetened hot coffee with sugar, added some Irish whiskey and floated a dollop of lightly whipped cream on top to warm travelers.
Sheridan perfected the recipe by the time the new Shannon International Airport and restaurant opened in 1945, and many international travelers sampled it. Among them was Jack Koeppler, the owner of the Buena Vista Cafe, who brought it to the U.S. in 1952.
The story goes that Koeppler challenged writer Stanton Delaplane to help re-create Sheridan’s highly touted coffee creation, and after much experimentation and a trip overseas, the drink was perfected. The rest is history.
Today the Buena Vista averages sales of 2,000 Irish coffees daily ($7.25 each), says general manager Michael Carden.
Want to experiment with making Irish coffee at home? Try these recipes:
KISS ME I’M IRISH COFFEE (1 serving)
Ingredients
– 2 teaspoons sugar
– 11/2 ounces Irish whiskey
– 2/3 cup freshly brewed strong coffee
– 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Directions
– In an Irish coffee glass, combine sugar, whiskey and coffee.
– In a small bowl, lightly whisk cream until slightly frothy. Gently pour cream onto the back of a spoon resting on the surface of the coffee, so that it floats on top of the coffee.
– Serve immediately without stirring.
NOTE: Getting the cream to float on top of an Irish coffee may require a little luck of the Irish. To ensure success, don’t omit the sugar.
– From “Some Like It Hot: 50 Drinks to Warm Your Spirits,” by Holly Burrows and Katie Walter
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IRISH COFFEE IN CHICAGO
– D4 Irish Pub & Cafe, $6
345 E. Ohio St. 312-624-8385
– J. Patrick’s Irish Bar & Grill, $5
1367 W. Erie St. 312-243-0990
– Keegan’s Pub, $5.50
10618 S. Western Ave. 773-233-6829
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– Mrs. Murphy & Sons Irish Bistro, $6
3905 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-248-3905
– Wilde Bar & Restaurant, $8
3130 N. Broadway. 773-244-0404
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IRISH COFFEE — BUENA VISTA CAFE STYLE (1 serving)
– Fill an Irish coffee glass with very hot water to preheat, then empty.
– Add 2 cocktail sugar cubes and hot brewed (drip) coffee until glass is about two-thirds full. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add 11/2 jiggers Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey; don’t stir.
– Top with a collar of lightly whipped heavy whipping cream by pouring it gently over the back of a spoon. Serve immediately.
— From Michael Carden, Buena Vista Cafe, San Francisco
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