The Buena Vistas Irish Coffee Recipes

Inspiration: The Buena Vista Cafe, San Francisco, California, 1952. There are those who wish us to believe the unlikely fact that Irish coffee was invented at Shannon Airport in the 1940s. Obviously, for any of us who have been to any airport, we know that nothing creative has ever occurred in such a place. A competing tale has it that Jonathan Swift invented the Irish coffee in 1705 through the simple genius of adding whiskey to his coffee and cream. Earlier the same day he had invented the Irish toasted cheese, Irish biscuit, Irish hat stand, and Irish stack of envelopes by inadvertently pouring whiskey onto those household items as well. Regardless of its original production, the drink did not come into its own until its appearance in San Francisco at the Buena Vista Cafe, where it became a permanent favorite of locals and tourists alike. We always knew we wanted an Irish coffee on the menu at the Dead Rabbit, as it is perhaps the best-known Irish-American classic, and this recipe was designed under the guidance of Dale "King Cocktail" DeGroff. It's a deceptively simple approach. One secret: Buy ridiculously expensive heavy cream from your favorite local dairy. Another tip: When preparing this classic, be careful not to slip on the Irish floor.

Provided by Food Network

Categories     beverage

Time 5m

Yield 1 drink

Number Of Ingredients 7

• Ingredients

The Buena Vista on Fisherman's Wharf serves as many as 2,000 of these famous Irish Coffees each day. It's a great way to warm up on a foggy day by the bay; however, after a few of these, you may be feeling a little foggy yourself. The major difference from other Irish Coffee recipes here is the use of sugar cubes.

Provided by FLKeysJen

Categories     Beverages

Time 5m

Yield 1 Irish Coffee, 1 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 4

• Ingredients