Warm your body and soul with this New Jersey favorite

With the weather turning and the slight chill in the air, I reached for an Irish coffee. There are medicinal properties in an Irish coffee that warm you and calm you after a nice dinner or brunch.

Many of us associate Irish coffee with something only consumed around the high holy day of St. Patrick’s Day. I am here to tell you it is a simple but satisfying choice to warm the body and “the soul” as they say.

According to historians, the Irish coffee as we know it now was invented by bartender Joe Sheridan who worked in Ireland in the county Limerick at the Flying Boat Terminal at Foynes. He created the hot drink as an answer to the Italian Espresso and Cappuccino.

Sheridan moved to San Francisco in 1951 and brought his recipe to the new bar he was working at, The Buena Vista, down on the wharf in San Francisco. It is a big destination for tourists and Buena Vista wants to move you through, which is a shame because it has the atmosphere that I enjoy, an old worn bar with the bartenders in long aprons making them as fast as a rivet machines at the Ford plant. I have been to Buena Vista a few times. The Irish coffees are served in a small glass so be careful, they go down quickly and often and once you settle in, they will go down amazingly fast.

You do not need any special expensive coffee to make the perfect Irish coffee. Your favorite coffee will do. My favorite Irish coffee is simple, it is Jameson, coffee, whipped cream, and topped with Crème De Menthe (the green stuff). Some people like Bushmills Irish Whiskey, some like Tullamore Dew or Powers Irish whiskey; it depends on your taste.

The choice of whiskey also had a great deal to do with what part of Ireland your ancestors were from. If you were from Northern Ireland which back in the day was mostly Protestant faith, they drank Bushmills. If your ancestors were from southern Ireland, they were practicing Catholics, they drank Jameson’s, which was founded in the 1700s by a Scottish gentleman by the name of John Jameson. Both companies are now owned and operated by French and English companies.

World Famous

Here are a few of my favorite places here in New Jersey to get an Irish Coffee. Try the Celtic Cottage in Long Branch; they keep it simple and just the way I like it. Kelly’s Tavern in Neptune does a wonderful job. The coffee is good, and they know what they are doing. St Stephens Green Publik House in Spring Lake does make a fine Irish coffee and takes Irish coffee seriously. McDonagh’s Pub in Keyport pours a good Irish, one bartender said the coffee was hanging out too long so she made a new pot. I love that attention to detail. Check out the Dublin House in Red Bank, Irish authentic and a wonderful place to enjoy Irish coffee. I have been to the Kilkenny House in Cranford and the Irish coffee was excellent. I am sure there are more that I am missing but this should get you started.

How I make a great Irish coffee:

In a medium-sized bowl add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 cup of cold heavy cream. With a whisk, gently stir to dissolve the sugar then whisk quickly until you reach stiff peaks.

In a mug add 10 oz. of your favorite coffee. Now add a shot (or two) of your favorite Irish whiskey, for me I like Jameson. Finish with a dollop of your homemade whipped cream and a few drops of Crème De Menthe or a couple of shavings of quality chocolate.

Note: Many people add brown sugar, Bailey’s, or other ingredients. I prefer it to be simple. The coffee is good, the whiskey is better and the whipped cream and crème de Menthe is the finishing touch.

Say a toast and enjoy it with great friends, family, or strangers and the next time you order an Irish coffee, take the time to raise your glass to Joe Sheridan and thank him for bringing his Irish drink to us. Sláinte!