Put a little Irish in your coffee
Alcoholics for generations always complained about the lack of pep in their coffee. Well, in the 1940’s the Irish decided to do something about that. Today we celebrate National Irish Coffee day in America. You would think they’d celebrate it in Ireland. But, every day in Ireland is Irish Coffee day. Just ask the people from Bewley’s, they are kind of like the Starbuck’s of Ireland. Although, they don’t add the liqueur in. So, it’s back to the drawing board. We need to combine our stimulants and depressants to make a quiet breakfast tradition into a rocking good night. So, Put a little Irish in your coffee.
If you go to a restaurant with a bar, chances are, you can get some kind of coffee drink. And, Irish coffee is the most popular. Ironically, it wasn’t invented until 1943. The story goes that a Chef named Joe Sheridan at the Foyes Airport in Limerick, Ireland added whiskey and floated whipped cream on coffee for dignitaries and celebrities stuck at the airport due to weather conditions. It was a warm you up and pick you up kind of thing. The airport was a very important layover during WWII, and for celebrities and dignitaries after the war, traveling between Europe and destinations like the US. Over the years there have been multiple variations. But, the basic concept of Coffee, Whiskey, Cream, and sugar still holds true. The advent of baileys in the 1970’s added another welcome dimension to some variations, and remains very popular here in the states.
Everything’s better if you Put a little Irish in your coffee
Despite the ubiquity of Irish coffee, it wasn’t the first time someone added booze to their coffee. Liqueur laced coffee drinks date back to the mid 19th century. And, I’m sure soldiers on battle fields for hundreds of years have slipped a dram or two into their java. As official culinary inventions, though, French coffee (incorporating cognac or brandy) pre-dates Irish coffee by about 100 years. And, pretty much every nationality has its own variation. Basically, you take whatever the most popular liqueur is in a particular country and add it to coffee: voila. There’s Mexican coffee with Kahlua, Grand French Coffee with Grand Marnier, Cafe Corretto in Italy (using Galliano, Sambuca, Amaretto, or Grappa), and more.
Somehow, Irish coffee became the most popular. I guess it’s easier to say and understand for Americans. Although, Italian Americans often ask for Italian milk AKA sambuca in their coffee. But, Americans love Whiskey. In fact Bourbon Whiskey is our own invention with stricter standards than some other whiskeys. For more on bourbon, see here. While Ireland consumes the most whiskey per person, the US has more people, so we actually consume more whiskey overall than any other country. Since the Irish consumption is 4 times the amount per person, it’s no wonder the association of Irish with whiskey led to this coffee name being the most popular. Plus it’s much easier to say than Rudesheimer Kaffee, a Swedish coffee with sugar cubes, brandy, cream and chocolate shavings.
So, how to celebrate?
Gee. That’s a tough one. Let’s see, Irish consume a lot of whiskey, and have to drink a lot of coffee the morning after. So, why not put the 2 together for efficiency’s sake? Win/win. And, unlike drinking straight whiskey, the coffee will keep you awake. So fire up the coffee maker, and get out a bottle of booze. The nice thing about this is that the recipe is pretty adaptable. The traditional recipe calls for whipped cream. But, if you have a machine with a frother, you can use that instead. This is the head you find on cappuccino: Forced steam creates a bubbly frothy cream that floats on top of your coffee when done right. You can even make designs in the top, so your Irish coffee can look like a pint of Guinness.
The basic recipe is:
- 1 Shot Irish Whiskey
- 1 Cup Fresh Hot Coffee
- 1 teaspoon or cube of sugar
- 2 ounces of Cream (heavy works best for whipping)
Many people add or substitute Irish cream like Baileys. And, Irish Mist is another staple used in some cases. It’s Irish whiskey with Honey and spices. There is also a Scottish honey whiskey called Drambuie, similar to Irish mist, and the name of the coffee when added. Adding Frangelico and Bailey’s gives you a nutty Irishman. Feel free to play around.
And, if you’re really serious about your drinking, this is a perfect excuse to start your day with booze, add it to your coffee.