St Patrick’s Day & Irish Coffee with Memories

St. Patrick’s Day reminds me of our first trip to San Francisco, which reminds me of  The Buena Vista Café, which always reminds me of Irish coffee!      

I’m of English and Dutch descent, Bill is of Swedish and German, no Irish here that we know of but that doesn’t stop us from loving that Irish coffee and the occasional green beer.

As the story goes, Irish coffee started way back in 1942, at Foynes Airbase, Country Limerick, Ireland…

On a miserable winter evening, A Pan Am flying boat landed, and a plane full of chilly passengers disembarked.  Joe Sheridan, the head chef at Foynes, concocted a drink that would warm their bodies as well as their spirits, a brew of hot coffee with a healthy splash of Irish whiskey.  A passenger asked Sheridan if they were served Brazilian coffee.  The chef told them, “No, that’s ‘Irish’ coffee!”

By 1945, the Flying Boat was ended, making way for land planes and a new airport, Shannon International Airport.  Joe took his innovative drink along, and worked there until 1952.  Today, there is a plaque honoring his creation outside the Joe Sheridan Café Bar.

The man who started it all.  Stanton Delaplane at the Buena Vista in 1975.

Thanks to Stanton Delaplane, an international travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, the drink made its way to the United States and The Buena Vista Café in San Francisco.

On November 10^th, in 1952, Delaplane persuaded George Freeberg, Buena Vista’s co-owner, to recreate the coffee beverage, but it didn’t work out as planned, there was a problem ~ the cream would not float.  According to legend, Mr. Delaplane, after sampling dozens of failed experiments, nearly passed out on the cable car tracks.

They sought help from the mayor of San Francisco, a dairy farmer, who informed them that they should age the cream for 48 hours and froth it --- then, it would float as daintily as a swan on top of the coffee.  Voila!

Deleplane mentioned the drink numerous times in his travel column, which was read across the United States, popularizing it.  Success was theirs!
 

The Buena Vista Café, at the corner of Beach & Hyde Streets

According to The Buena Vista Café, “Today, it’s still the same delicious mixture, and it’s still the same clamorous, cosmopolitan Buena Vista.  Both… delightful experiences."  

And that’s a fact, delightful, for sure!  A charming little café, with atmosphere and an outstanding Irish coffee!

It serves up 2,000 to 3,500 Irish Coffee’s a day - until the bartender's white jacket sleeves are spattered with coffee and the century-old tavern closes at 2:00 a.m.

Veteran bartender, Jack Nolan, with 37 years service, and his brother, Larry, who has been lining up glasses at the Buena Vista for 40 years, estimate they've served up over 3 million Irish coffees over the years...

The Buena Vista Café Irish Coffee

Ingredients:

2 sugar cubes
6 ounces brewed coffee
1 1/3 ounces Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey
Heavy cream, lightly whipped 

Method:

Pre-heat a 6-ounce heatproof glass by filling with hot water.
Add 2 sugar cubes to the glass, then pour over coffee until the glass is ¾ full.
Stir thoroughly until the sugar is dissolved.
Add 1 1/3 ounces of whiskey to the coffee.
Float a layer of whipped cream over the top of the coffee by pouring gently over a spoon. 
Printable recipe

Sláinte!

I think I did leave my heart in San Francisco more than once, and wish Bill and I were there now sipping on an Irish coffee at the Buena Vista...

ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ

sᴛ. ᴘᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴋ's ᴅᴀʏ,

ᴍʏ ғʀɪᴇɴᴅs❣

 

xoxo Pam