* Irish coffee was invented in the port of Shannon, Ireland.
* An Irish bartender added whiskey to stranded Americans' coffees to warm them
up.
* Jameson or Bushmills is ideal, but Jack Daniel's will work, too.
A little history with your buzz...
The story goes that Irish coffee was invented in the port of Shannon, Ireland, when a group of American tourists were stranded there one cold winter night in the 1940s. Taking pity on the unhappy group, a bartender added whiskey to their coffees to warm them up. Thus began the proud tradition of making drinks “Irish” by simply adding whiskey to them. But regardless of whatever creative concoctions you’ve come up with, the original version is hard to beat.
Hair-on-your-chest factor: 77/100
This is one of those drinks where the “manliness” factor is ultimately unimportant. It’s a truly unisex beverage, and besides, when you’re talking about a drink that puts you in the crosshairs of a caffeine and alcohol buzz, why quibble with the aesthetics? Four Loko may have been short-lived, and vodka-Red Bulls should not be consumed by any man over the age of 20, but an Irish Coffee is forever a good call.
And, in the spirits of making something “Irish” -- that is, taking a good thing and making it better by means of spiking it -- we condone any whiskey substitutions you might have to make. Sometimes a guy only has Jack Daniel’s on hand. Who are we to wag a finger? Jameson or Bushmills is ideal, but we’re not going to judge you.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey
1 tsp brown sugar
6 oz hot coffee
Heavy cream, whipped or not
Method:
Combine whiskey, sugar and coffee in a mug, and stir to dissolve. Float cold cream gently on top. Do not mix.
