Irish Coffee from the source: A recipe from County Kerry

By Cathy Huyghe
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“A drop of the craythur.”

That’s what the Irish say when lacing a beverage with a bit of whiskey.  One of the most famous resulting concoctions, Irish coffee, was reportedly invented in 1940 by Joe Sheridan, a chef at Shannon Airport. It’s stood the test of time, and remains the perfect accompaniment to WGBH’s A Celtic Sojourn.

The classic Irish coffee involves just four ingredients: Irish whisky, brown sugar, coffee, and fresh cream. Here is Sheridan’s recipe, reproduced by John and Olive Mulvihill of The Red Fox Inn in Glenbeigh along the Ring of Kerry.

Take a steamed glass.

Pour in 1/4 gill (four tablespoons) of Irish whisky.

Add 2 teaspoons brown sugar and boiling coffee to within 3/4 inch of the top of the glass.

Stir briskly until sugar is completely dissolved.

Add cream, lightly whipped, and pour into the glass over the back of a teaspoon so that the cream will not sink.

To enjoy the full flavor of the Irish coffee do not stir when cream is added.

Cathy Huyghe writes the WGBH Foodie blog. Read new WGBH Foodie posts every weekday, in which Cathy explores myriad ways and places to experience good food and wine.