FURTHERMORE
By Gerry Moran
I had a drink last week. Really, Gerry! The drink I had was an Irish Coffee – something I haven’t had in quite a while. And, as I sat sipping, and savouring, it I got to wondering how Irish Coffee came about. Indeed I wondered if it’s Irish at all?
And then I remembered a leaflet I picked up in the River Court Hotel many, many years ago and miraculously I was able to locate it. I say miraculously because, as my wife will readily, and rapidly, confirm I am no archivist. I am totally and utterly disorganised. A disaster if I am to be honest, so much so that my wife says it’s driving her to drink. Not Irish Coffee but something equally potent.
But here I’m blathering on when I should be getting on with The History of Irish Coffee, according to the River Court Hotel’s leaflet.
“In the late 1930 and early 1940s, Foynes (in Co. Limerick) served as the hub for the latest mode of air travel – the flying boat – between the US and Europe. Every flying boat leaving, or arriving in, Europe came through Foynes Airport. One chilly night a flight departed Foynes with stops scheduled in Newfoundland and New York. Bad weather, however, prompted the captain to turn about and head back.
The restaurant in the airport was alerted to have food and drink prepared as the passengers would more than likely be cold and in need of some cheer. The head chef, Joe Sheridan, had coffee prepared and decided to put a little something in it to give the passengers a little kick to get them out of their cold slump, so, he added a drop, or two, of Irish whiskey to the brew.
A surprised American passenger is said to have asked: “Is this Brazilian coffee?” to which Joe replied: “No, that’s Irish coffee.” From that day forward Irish Coffee became known around the world as the official welcoming drink served at Foynes.
In 1945, Foynes Airport closed, the age of flying boats having come to an end. Now known as Shannon International Airport, it is where Joe Sheridan took his famous Irish Coffee to welcome people to Ireland. If Foynes was the birthplace of Irish Coffee, then San Francisco was its port of entry to North America.
In 1952 the Buena Vista Café in San Francisco was a saloon where longshore men and workers employed at the nearby sardine cannery took their breaks. In November of that year, Jack Koeppler, the owner of the Buena Vista and a friend, Stanton Delaplane, a renowned food critic, who had enjoyed an Irish Coffee in Shannon Airport, had a brilliant idea – together they would recreate the recipe for Irish Coffee. They spent hours experimenting with various whiskeys and proportions; but one thing eluded them. They couldn’t get the cream to float; it always sunk to the bottom of the glass. Jack even flew to Shannon to ask the man himself, Joe Sheridan, for the secret which Joe explained: whisk fresh cream, just short of stiff and pour it slowly over the back of a spoon to float it on the coffee. The recipe was then perfected.
Staying with airports – I was in Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport a few weeks back. My wife and I were in Liverpool en route to Wales to visit our two grandchildren. James, our son, is collecting us. He arrives but seems in a hell of a hurry. We barely have time to hug and embrace. He soon explains the hurry – it costs £5 to park for 10 minutes, 20 minutes costs £10 while one hour will knock you back 25 quid!
I occasionally crib about parking charges here in Ireland, not least in Dublin, but £5 for 10 minutes is nothing short of extortion! Indeed, as soon as you park you may sprint to arrivals to collect your people. And if you’re collecting your elderly granny you may throw her over your shoulder, ignore her screaming, and leg it to your car as fast as you can. Oh, and don’t think you can park anywhere on the periphery of the car park. They’ve got cameras everywhere and you’ll end up with an £80 (almost €95) fine!
That’s a helluva lot of Irish Coffees!
