Originally made to comfort stranded air passengers at Foynes port/airport on the Shannon estuary in the west of Ireland, the Irish Coffee has risen to global fame, and is celebrated worldwide on Irish Coffee Day every January 25.

Historians, however, aren't in complete agreement on this as some claim its birth at Foynes in the winter of 1943, while others argue that it was at Dublin's Dolphin Hotel in 1940. However, it's universally acknowledged that The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco played a major role in popularizing this drink, and is now the top seller of Irish Coffee worldwide.

The story commonly told about Irish Coffee's invention dates back to the era of the Flying Boats. These aircraft, lacking the range for full Atlantic crossings, would often stop at Foynes Airport on Ireland's River Shannon. On one stormy night in late 1943, a New York-bound Pan-Am Flying Boat had to return to Foynes and in anticipation of the aircraft's return, the airport's restaurant staff were called in to provide warm meals and drinks.

It was here that Chef Joe Sheridan crafted the first Irish Coffee, blending Irish Whiskey, Demerara sugar, freshly brewed coffee, and freshly whipped cream. This recipe, though slightly modified over time, remains the basis of Irish Coffee. Chef Sheridan was from Castlederg, County Tyrone, and had been recruited by the restaurant owner Brendan O’Regan to run the kitchen and is reputed to have written just 12 words in his application for the position of Chef -“Dear Sir, I’m the man for the job. Yours sincerely, Joe Sheridan.”

When Foynes Airport closed in 1945, replaced by Shannon International Airport, Sheridan and his team brought their iconic drink to the new location. It was at Shannon Airport where the connection to The Buena Vista was formed.

Stanton "Stan" Delaplane, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist from the San Francisco Chronicle, first encountered Irish Coffee at Shannon Airport in 1951. So impressed was he that he shared his experience with Jack Koeppler, owner of The Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco, and they set out to replicate the drink in San Francisco.

Their initial attempts fell short, particularly getting the cream to float and Koeppler even traveled to Shannon Airport to taste the original. The solution to the cream dilemma came from a dairy farm owned by San Francisco Mayor Elmer Robinson in Marin County. After more experimentation, they found that cream aged for 48 hours and whipped to a precise consistency would float.

Finally, on November 10, 1952, The Buena Vista introduced its version of Irish Coffee, leading to a surge in Irish whiskey sales in America, as reported by Time Magazine in 1954. Historians, however, debate these accounts, with some citing Clementine Paddleford of the New York Herald Tribune as having mentioned Irish Coffee in her 1948 St. Patrick's Day column.

Joe was offered a job at the Buena Vista Cafe and to much acclaim moved to San Francisco in 1952. Bitten by wanderlust Joe joined the Seafarer's International Union of North America and started work as a cook on a ship headed to the Pacific Islands. There isn’t much known about the next few years of Joe’s life and he passed away on the island of Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, on July 19, 1962, at the age of 53. His remains were brought to Oakland, California where he is buried at St, Mary’s Cemetery.

Today, The Buena Vista serves around 2,000 Irish Coffees daily, using over 100 bottles of Tullamore D.E.W., a whiskey closely linked with the drink. A little bit of side trivia for you with the 'D.E.W.' in Tullamore D.E.W. honoring Daniel Edmund Williams, a former manager and owner of the original Tullamore distillery.

References
The Buena Vista Cafe Irish Coffee
Irish Star - Buena Vista Irish Coffee - March 2023
KQED - Irish Coffee Origins - February 2021
Foynes on Wikipedia
Stanton “Stan” Delaplane on Wikipedia
Irish Coffee on Wikipedia
Difford’s Guide - Irish Coffee
Liquor.com - Irish Coffee
Foynes Flying Boat Museum Irish Coffee Centre
Foynes Flying Boat Museum Irish Coffee Recipe
Foynes Flying Boat Museum Joe Sheridan
Find A Grave - Joseph Sheridan