A group of Americans ordered some coffee at a bar in Ireland in the 40s. When the bartender came back with some cups filled with cream, sugar, coffee, and whiskey, they asked what type of coffee it was. The bartender said, “Irish.” And that’s pretty much how Irish coffee came to be.

Then in the 50s the Buena Vista cafe in San Francisco brought the drink to America. That’s where these glasses come from. The cafe’s still open today. When you walk in, you see a long row of empty glasses on the bar. They fill them like an assembly line 3/4 full with hot coffee. Then they add 2 sugar cubes, a shot of Tullamore Dew whiskey, and float some whipped cream on top. The coffees look like mini pints of Guinness, black with a creamy white top. You’re supposed to drink the coffee through the cream and not stir it up.

I’ve experimented with a blended iced version and a black coffee with whiskey simple syrup and Guinness spiked whipped cream one. The latte version is my favorite, though, apart from the original.

shot of espresso
steamed milk
shot of Irish whiskey
raw sugar
green sugar for garnish

Pour the shots together and stir with the raw sugar. Fill the glass with steamed milk. And garnish with green sugar. Happy St. Patrick’s Day!