It's a bit early for celebrating St. Patrick's Day, not too early to enjoy a coffee with a kick! After all winter IS in full swing and story has it that this coffee originated to warm chilled transatlantic travelers when the weather turned miserable. So, the sweet boozy, elixir should definitely hit the spot wherever cold, damp, windy weather is occurring!

Irish coffee is a cocktail consisting of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, stirred, and topped with thick cream. The coffee is drunk through the cream. The original recipe explicitly uses cream that has not been whipped, although whipped cream is often used.

January 25 is...

National Irish Coffee Day
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Here are today’s five things to know about Irish Coffee:

The Irish coffee typically consisted of black coffee, sugar, whipped cream, and Irish whiskey.

Some say it was invented in Ireland and was intended to help travelers keep warm while traveling the Atlantic Ocean.

It is said that Stanton Delaplane brought the drink to the United States and convinced the Buena Vista bar in San Francisco to put it on their drink menu.

Tom Bergin’s Tavern in Los Angeles, also claims to have been the originator and has had a large sign in place reading “House of Irish Coffee” since the early 1950s.

A similar hot Irish drink is called the Hot Irish Monk – cocoa, Frangelica (available kosher in select places) and whiskey. [Source: Foodimentary]

The "Original Recipe"

The original recipe as per Joseph Sheridan: "Cream as rich as an Irish brogue; coffee as strong as a friendly hand; sugar sweet as the tongue of a rogue; and whiskey smooth as the wit of the land."

...and in practical terms here’s how to make one:

Pre-heat a clear stemmed glass with very hot water. Empty the water, and add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar. Now add some freshly brewed rich coffee and stir. As soon as the sugar is melted, add a generous measure of Irish whiskey (about 4 to 6 teaspoons). Stir again, and then wait for the brew to still. Now take a hot teaspoon and pour gently whipped fresh cream slowly over the back of the spoon. The cream should be not too stiff and not too liquid. A perfect Irish Coffee should look pretty much like that other famous Irish drink - Guinness! And remember never stir it because the coffee is meant to be enjoyed as you sip the warm, sweet nectar through the luxurious cream.

Perhaps you do not care for the Irish Coffee as a beverage...