A brief history of Irish Coffee

It probably hasn’t escaped the majority of people that today is St. Patrick’s Day. The streets are daubed in green and there are plenty of revellers to be seen. If you are in Chicago, even the river has changed colour to celebrate the patron saint of the Emerald Isle.

Ireland has a long standing tradition when it comes to the production alcohol. The country is synonymous with Guinness  and their exquisite and unique selection of whiskey.

But, being a website dedicated the news and stories that are centred on coffee; we cannot fail to mention a certain beverage that is just as inherently linked to the nation in our java loving subconscious.

There isn’t much to Foynes these days: the constant stream of aircraft that populated the tiny estuary settlement has moved north thanks to the construction Shannon International Airport was constructed. All that remains now is the port, the second largest in Ireland, 600 residents and the ‘Flying Boat Museum’.

But, at one point, Foynes was a bustling airport establishment that was at the heart of many trans-Atlantic routes. As the last stop for planes to refuelling before completing their journey to and from America, the establishment became a key location that everybody passed through and luminaries such as Humphrey Bogart, Ernest Hemingway and Eleanor Roosevelt are all known to have spent time in Foynes.

Due to demand, restaurants appeared to cater to hungry and thirsty passengers and one, under the auspices of Joe Sheridan, created something which would spread around the globe.

The story goes that a plane, bound for the Botwood, Newfoundland, had to turn back towards Ireland due to stormy weather and Sheridan, tasked with providing food and drink to the beleaguered passengers, decided that something slightly stronger than a standard coffee should be served.

“Hey buddy,” a passenger is supposed to have remarked after sipping Sheridan’s concoction, “is this Brazilian coffee?” Sheridan responded by stating it was ‘Irish Coffee’ and so a drink was born.

As Shannon airport quickly deposed Foynes as the gateway to south-west Ireland, Sheridan set up residence at the newly built facility before emigrating to San Francisco thanks, mainly, to the travel-writer Stanton Delaplane.

Delaplane helped introduce the alcoholic coffee to the United States and, after unsuccessful attempts at replicating the drink; the Buena Vista Café offered Sheridan a role which he duly accepted.

Since, Irish coffee has spread around the world and become a favourite post-meal tipple of choice for many.

Today, Foynes may not be as populous as it once was, but the village still celebrates its status as being the birthplace of Irish coffee, holding an annual festival in the summer months to celebrated the mixture of whiskey, cream and strong, black coffee.

So let’s raise a glass – or should that be a mug? – to Joseph Sheridan (and Stanton Delaplane)!

photo: Simon Bonaventure (flickr), used under Creative Commons