The Original Shannon Airport Irish Coffee Recipes

Inspiration: The Buena Vista Cafe, San Francisco, California, 1952. There are those who wish us to believe the unlikely fact that Irish coffee was invented at Shannon Airport in the 1940s. Obviously, for any of us who have been to any airport, we know that nothing creative has ever occurred in such a place. A competing tale has it that Jonathan Swift invented the Irish coffee in 1705 through the simple genius of adding whiskey to his coffee and cream. Earlier the same day he had invented the Irish toasted cheese, Irish biscuit, Irish hat stand, and Irish stack of envelopes by inadvertently pouring whiskey onto those household items as well. Regardless of its original production, the drink did not come into its own until its appearance in San Francisco at the Buena Vista Cafe, where it became a permanent favorite of locals and tourists alike. We always knew we wanted an Irish coffee on the menu at the Dead Rabbit, as it is perhaps the best-known Irish-American classic, and this recipe was designed under the guidance of Dale "King Cocktail" DeGroff. It's a deceptively simple approach. One secret: Buy ridiculously expensive heavy cream from your favorite local dairy. Another tip: When preparing this classic, be careful not to slip on the Irish floor.

Provided by Food Network

Categories     beverage

Time 5m

Yield 1 drink

Number Of Ingredients 7

• Ingredients

The original recipe as per Joseph Sheridan should be: "Cream, rich as an Irish brogue; Coffee, strong as a friendly hand; Sugar, sweet as the tongue of a rogue; Whiskey, smooth as the wit of the land." An After Dinner classic and with a rich history - use good Irish Whiskey, freshly brewed coffee and pouring cream (Double cream) - NOT whipped cream for this authentic and delectable boozy coffee! History: From 1939 to 1945 Joseph Sheridan was the head Chef of a catering company based at the Shannon airport (20 miles north of Limerick , Ireland ). Joseph Sheridan was taxed with trying to find a suitable drink for passengers who had traveled for eighteen hours by seaplane and then had to travel by boat to the terminal. Hot coffee and tea was obviously not enough to take the chill out of the passengers so Joseph began to offer an alternative. His mix of Irish whiskey and coffee became known as Irish Coffee, and Joseph had secured his place in drink history To this day if you travel through Shannon Airport you will find the "Sheridan Bar" in the departures lounge, and a plaque that has been placed there in honour of Joseph's great warm libation. (and yes, they do serve his original Irish Coffee recipe.) Sláinte!

Provided by French Tart

Categories     Beverages

Time 5m

Yield 1 Irish Coffee, 1 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 4

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : Calories 180, Fat 11.2, SaturatedFat 6.9, Cholesterol 41.1, Sodium 16.1, Carbohydrate 5.1, Sugar 4.2, Protein 0.9

One of the best Irish whiskey drinks, Irish coffee goes beyond whiskey-spiked coffee. Learn how to make this iconic cocktail with the original recipe.

Provided by Colleen Graham

Categories     Coffee     Beverage     Cocktail

Time 7m

Number Of Ingredients 4

• Ingredients

Nutrition Facts : Calories 195 kcal, Carbohydrate 8 g, Cholesterol 34 mg, Fiber 0 g, Protein 1 g, SaturatedFat 7 g, Sodium 13 mg, Sugar 8 g, Fat 11 g, ServingSize 1 cocktail (1 serving), UnsaturatedFat 0 g

Provided by Food Network

Time 10m

Yield 1 serving

Number Of Ingredients 4

• Ingredients