The History & Origin of the Irish Coffee
Few cocktails have earned the “classic” title quite like the Irish coffee. Rich, warming, and topped with that unmistakable layer of whipped cream, it’s a drink with as much history as flavour. But what makes it truly iconic is its backstory. A tale that begins with a visionary chef on a chilly night at the small Foynes Airport in Co. Limerick, in Ireland, and ends at the San Francisco Buena Vista Café, making cocktail history.
Today, you can find an Irish Coffee in any Irish pub anywhere in the world, but we can’t give credit to pioneering publicans; No, the story of the Irish Coffee is written in the skies.
Before we open the chapter and explore the story of Irish Coffee, don’t forget we have a long list of amazing Whiskey Cocktails for you to try at home.
What is an Irish Coffee?
At its heart, an Irish coffee is a simple yet elegant whiskey cocktail. It combines four essential ingredients:
• Strong hot coffee
• Jameson Irish Whiskey
• Sugar (traditionally brown sugar)
• Fresh whipped cream
The magic isn’t just in the ingredients, though; it’s in the technique. The sugar and whiskey are stirred into the coffee, then the cream is carefully floated on top. For the love of all that is good in the world, do not stir in the cream!
Ahem… excuse us. We got a little too enthusiastic there.
The correct technique is to sip the warm, smooth coffee through the cool layer of cream. This little trick is what elevates the drink from other ordinary coffee cocktails and leaves you with a wonderful white moustache, which is all part of the fun.
What is the Origin of Irish Coffee?
The history of Irish coffee starts on a cold winter night in 1943 at Foynes Airport in County Limerick. This was the first major hub for transatlantic flights in the world and was the primary layover and refuelling stop for passengers travelling back and forth to the North American and European continents. Nobody likes being stranded at the airport (even with today’s modern luxuries), so when a flight bound for Newfoundland was turned around due to bad weather, a cabin of passengers returned to the terminal, wet, cold, tired, and in need of comfort.
Head chef Joe Sheridan decided to warm them up with a new kind of drink: hot coffee mixed with Irish whiskey, sweetened with sugar, and topped with cream. When asked if the concoction was Brazilian coffee, Sheridan quipped: “No, that’s Irish coffee.”
And so, a classic was born.
You can still explore the story today at the Foynes Flying Boat and Maritime Museum, which celebrates both aviation heritage and the cocktail’s origins.
Who is Joe Sheridan?
Who is Joe Sheridan? Why, Joe Sheridan was the chef who invented Irish Coffee.
However, Joe Sheridan wasn’t just any chef. He was head of catering at the Foynes terminal, feeding weary travellers’ day and night. Born with humble beginnings, he wasn’t exactly destined to become a cocktail legend. However, with one inspired idea, he created a drink that would be remembered forever.
Thanks to Joe Sheridan, the Irish Coffee now sits proudly alongside the Martini and the Mojito in the cocktail Hall of Fame. His legacy proves that sometimes brilliance is as simple as whiskey, coffee, sugar, and cream.
Where did the Irish Coffee Originate?
In the 1940s, Foynes was a crucial refuelling stop for transatlantic flights, hosting celebrities, politicians, and weary travellers alike. Although Foynes ceased operating as an airport in 1945, its story didn’t end there. Today, the site lives on as the Foynes Flying Boat & Maritime Museum, where you’ll find the official birthplace of Irish coffee and a glimpse into a unique chapter of aviation and cocktail history.
The Journey from Shannon to San Francisco
After Foynes closed, its services moved to the newly established Shannon Airport, and so did the Irish coffee tradition. Enter Stanton Delaplane, a travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle who fell in love with the drink in Shannon and decided to share it with the U.S.
Working with Jack Koeppler, owner of The Buena Vista Café in San Francisco, Delaplane helped recreate the recipe. Try as they might, they couldn’t get it right. They could not get the cream to float (we said, technique is important). However, instead of giving up, Jack Koeppler went straight to the source and offered Joe Sheridan a job working as a chef in The Buena Vista Café. He accepted, and the first Irish coffee in San Francisco was served at the Buena Vista by the man who invented it.
The café is still pouring hundreds of glasses daily, each one true to Joe Sheridan’s Irish coffee recipe.
Joe Sheridan’s Original Irish Coffee Recipe
If you want to enjoy the real deal at home, here’s Joe Sheridan’s Irish coffee recipe:
• 35 ml Jameson Original
• 90 ml Strong hot coffee or espresso
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar or 10 ml Demerara Sugar syrup
• 90 ml of cold (very important), fresh whipped cream
Instructions:
• Pre-heat a heatproof glass.
• Add 35 ml Jameson Irish Whiskey and 1 teaspoon brown sugar or 10 ml sugar syrup
• Top up with hot coffee, leaving space for the cream.
• Stir until the sugar dissolves.
• Let it settle, and gently float cold, whipped cream on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon.
The crucial step? Never stir in the cream. Let it sit on top while you sip the sweet, warming coffee through it.
Where Can You Get the Best Irish Coffee in Dublin?
Although born in Limerick, the Irish coffee is now a staple across Ireland, where you’ll find some excellent takes on this classic.
For the best Irish Coffee in Dublin, as well as a whole host of brilliant tours, classes, and activities, visit the Jameson Distillery Bow St. Here, you’ll not only learn about the craft of Irish whiskey but also enjoy expertly prepared Irish coffee in the city that helped make the drink world-famous.
And there you have it. The story of a drink that started in a small Irish airport, charmed San Francisco, and went on to warm hearts everywhere. A little whiskey, a little coffee, a lot of history, and a recipe worth remembering.
For more amazing drink recipes, as well as fantastic whiskey merchandise, informative articles, and bottles of Irish whiskey you won’t find anywhere else, visit jamesonwhiskey.com
