The History of The Irish Coffee

By Tim Herlihy

With my personal favorite US holiday coming up, I'd bet a pot of liquid gold that everyone has us Irish top of mind. In the spirit of St. Patrick's Day, I'd like to share the story about how one of our most popular libations came to be: The Irish Coffee. Just like Oscar Wilde, Liam Neeson, U2 and Guinness-all famous exports of Ireland-the classic Irish Coffee is Irish-True: born on Irish soil and now enjoyed across the world.

One snowy winter night in 1942, a Newfoundland-bound PanAm flight from Limerick's Foynes Airport took to the skies. After several hours of battling the storm, the pilot gave up and turned back home. As passengers arrived cold and weary, Joe Sheridan, the head bartender at the terminal cafe, decided to prepare something special to warm them up. He brewed some dark, rich coffee, added in some Irish whiskey, a dash of brown sugar and floating, freshly whipped cream on top of each cup. He dubbed it the "Gaelic Coffee" - inspired by Sheridan's sworn-by hangover cure of coffee blended with Irish Whiskey. An American passenger queried; "Hey Buddy, is this Brazilian coffee?" "No," said Joe, "that's Gaelic Coffee!" and so the Irish Coffee was born.

Ten years later, a San Francisco journalist named Stan Delaplane discovered and was amazed by the creation at Shannon Airport, where Joe had relocated from Foynes. Delaplane convinced his good friend Joe Koeppler, who happened to be the owner of San Francisco's Buena Vista Cafe, to make this deliciously spiked coffee libation stateside.

Recreating the Irish Coffee was no easy feat; it simply didn't taste the same, and the cream sank to the bottom each time. Determined, Koeppler travelled to Shannon to taste the real thing for himself. He decided to use only quality Irish whiskey and cream, and discovered the key - that the cream had to be slightly aged and lightly whipped in order to float at the top of the glass properly!

On November 10^th 1952, the San Francisco Irish Coffee was born and America fell in love with Sheridan's creation. Today, The Buena Vista sells 2,000 Irish Coffees a day, and 2,000 cases of Irish Whiskey a year - the largest Irish Whiskey Bar on the planet. And which whiskey did they originally use, you ask? Well that would be the Tullamore D.E.W. Pot Still, lads!

The Irish Coffee craze was an undoubted turning point in revitalizing the Irish Whiskey category. Before the drink took off, Irish Whiskey was barely alive, struggling from Prohibition, the fallout from gaining Independence from Great Britain and a number of other factors. Thanks to Joe, what started out as his homemade hangover cure became a drink that would revive the spirit of his homeland, define a drinking era and come to be enjoyed all over the world.

So you Seattle diners, after you paint your street green for the parade, enjoy an authentic Irish Coffee this March 17^th (I'd recommend Kells Irish Pub at 1916 Post Alley) and make sure to toast to Joe! And for those looking to bring the magical combination of fat, alcohol, sugar and caffeine into the home, here's my foolproof method!

March 2016

Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Coffee

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

• 1 part Tullamore D.E.W. Original

• 4 parts coffee of your choice

• Top with lightly whipped fresh heavy cream

• Garnish with grated nutmeg

Pre-heat a clear-stemmed glass with very hot water. Empty the water, and add brown sugar. Now add some freshly brewed rich coffee and stir. As soon as the sugar is melted, add Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey. Stir again, and wait for the brew to still. Now take a hot teaspoon and pour gently whipped fresh cream slowly over the back of the spoon. Garnish with grated nutmeg if desired.

Tim Herlihy, Tullamore D.E.W. Brand Ambassador, East

As far as whiskey experts go, they don't come more Irish True than Tullamore D.E.W. US Ambassador Tim Herlihy. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Tim's passion for whiskey was ignited in the cozy bars and pubs of his hometown of Termonfeckin, Ireland.

In his role as Tullamore D.E.W. Ambassador, Tim has presented at whiskey shows and cocktail weeks, presenting on Irish whiskey history, cocktails, and one of his favorite topics, the Irish pub. He has shared his whiskey knowledge with enthusiasts across the country through his travels and on television, including interviews on The Steve Harvey Show and Access Hollywood Live. He's so popular in fact that in 2015, Tim was crowned Whisky Magazine's Icons of Whisky: Best Irish Whiskey Ambassador - and he's got the belt to prove it.

Be sure to keep up-to-date on all of Tim's adventures by following him on Twitter and Instagram @tullamoretim. For more information on Tullamore D.E.W. please visit www.TullamoreDew.com, and like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/tullamoredew.