Carolyn Fath
Jameson plus Barriques equals a brilliant winter warmer.
You won’t see any shillelaghs on the walls of the recently remodeled Brocach on the Square. The Irish pub now sports a more contemporary design. Even so, Brocach still delivers on its Irish coffee.
The drink traces its origins to a miserable winter night in 1943 in the village of Foynes, a major port in the county of Limerick on the western coast of the Emerald Isle. During World War II, Foynes was home to one of the biggest civilian airports in Europe. Its terminal featured one of the finest restaurants in Ireland, led by chef Joe Sheridan. A Pan Am flight full of American VIPs headed to Newfoundland was forced to return to Foynes due to bad weather (a common occurrence at the time). Sheridan added whiskey to coffee to warm up the travelers once they disembarked. A thick layer of non-whipped cream was floated on top of the steamy beverage.
When one of the passengers asked, “Is this Brazilian coffee?” Sheridan replied, “No sir, it’s Irish coffee.”
Brocach’s Irish coffee stays true to the original recipe. It uses Jameson whiskey, Barriques’ Smokejumper Dark Roast, presumably a little sugar and an ample dose of cream. It could be a bit sweeter, but is still a delightful treat after a long day in the bitter cold.
