IRISH COFFEE

Ive had Irish Coffee at the famous Buena Vista Pub in San Francisco many times. Its delish, and after a long walk on a cold foggy SF nite its the perfect nite cap, or two or three......hehehe. I found this online about the Irish saying that we claimed to have invented this but they are wrong. The Buena Vista does not take claim to creating it, they wanted to recreate the one from the Shannon Airport in Ireland. Hey you Irish, if your gonna tell the world some Blarney at least do-nt lie! So here's their version and ours, from right here in good old San Francisco.

THE IRISH STORY

The Irish Pubs in San Francisco have claimed that it was they that invented Irish Coffee. After much research their claim has been refuted. Verification of the facts was contributed by none other than Michael Collins, the 28 year veteran bar tender at Shannon Airport. This report is authenticated by his signature to the left of the glass pictured here.
From 1939 to 1945 air travel from America was by flying boats that landed at Foynes, Co. Limerick after a long 18 hour flight. The passengers, chilled by the boat trip from the seaplane to the terminal, sometimes in cold, damp weather conditions, appreciated a hot cup of coffee or tea on arrival at the terminal. Brendan O'Regan, then the youthful manager of the Foynes catering service believed that passengers would welcome something stronger. Mr. Joseph Sheridan, the head Chef at Foynes, rose to the occasion, developing after some research what is now known as Irish Coffee.
A plaque marking the achievement has been erected at Shannon Airport and Irish Coffee is increasingly enjoyed throughout the world.

Original Shannon Recipe

• Heat a stemmed whiskey goblet.

• Pour in one shot of Irish whiskey.

• Add three sugar cubes.

• Fill with strong black coffee to within one inch of top. Stir gently.

• Top off to the brim with heavy cream slightly aerated.

Important: Do not stir after adding cream, as the true flavor is obtained by drinking the coffee and whiskey through the cream.

Note: American whipping cream has an additive to increase shelf life. This detracts from ability to stay on top of mixture. Irish cream is delivered daily and has no additive. If you can obtain untreated cream from a farmer you will produce a better Irish Coffee.

Slainte !!!

THE IRISH COFFEE STORY SF STYLE

The historic venture started on the night of November the 10th in 1952. Jack Koeppler, then-owner of the Buena Vista, challenged international travel writer Stanton Delaplane to help re-create a highly touted "Irish Coffee" served at Shannon Airport in Ireland. Intrigued, Stan Accepted Jack’s invitation, and the pair began to experiment immediately.

Throughout the night the two of them stirred and sipped judiciously and eventually acknowledged two recurring problems. The taste was "not quite right," and the cream would not float. Stan’s hopes sank like the cream, but Jack was undaunted. The restaurateur pursued the elusive elixir with religious fervor, even making a pilgrimage overseas to Shannon Airport.

Upon Jack’s return, the experimentation continued. Finally, the perfect-tasting Irish whiskey was selected. Then the problem of the bottom-bent cream was taken to San Francisco’s mayor, a prominent dairy owner. It was discovered that when the cream was aged for 48 hours and frothed to a precise consistency, it would float as delicately as a swan on the surface of Jack’s and Stan’s special nectar.

Success was theirs! With the recipe now mastered, a sparkling clear, six-ounce, heat-treated goblet was chosen as a suitable chalice.

Soon the fame of the Buena Vista’s Irish Coffee spread throughout the land. Today, it’s still the same delicious mixture, and it’s still the same clamorous, cosmopolitan Buena Vista. Both…delightful experiences.

http://www.thebuenavista.com/irishcoffee.html

BTW if your ever in SF, this is THE place to not miss on your trip. Its full of people from all over the world. There's usually a wait for the coffee but they put on a show doing it so its fun. The place is small and the tables are full and the bar is usually two deep. But you meet some awesome folks there. Its fun sharing a table with people from everywhere! With a few Irish coffees in them folks relax and you hear some great stories. And once you go back out there on a cold SF nite.......well it sure doesn't feel so cold anymore

Also my own version on this is to substitute brown sugar for the sugar cubes, seems to be richer to me. We love it this way!

PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE

I love pumpkin lattes. So glad starbucks came out with them. I wait all yr for when they make them but I cant always afford to have it or cant always get there so I found this great alternative. Its from the Susan Branch cookbooks. If you have never seen her books your in for a visual treat. They are like talking to a girlfriend.....stories, great watercolor drawings and lots of tried and true recipes.

Pumpkin latte makes 1

2 heaping tb. canned pumpkin
1 tb. brown sugar
1tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp.pumpkin pie spice
hot coffee, decaf or espresso
hot milk
Into each lg. mug put first 4 ingred. Fill cup halfway with coffee and stir well. Fill cup with hot milk and whisk. Top with whipped cream, dust with nutmeg.

This is from Susan Branch's Autumn cookbook. Sometimes I add a bit more fresh pumpkin but too much just makes pumpkin sludge at the bottom of your cup. And Ive also used vanilla syrup instead of brown sugar and vanilla. I just use regular coffee most times cuz thats what we have around here but its delish. The biggest problem is what to do with the leftover pumpkin, I can never use it all before it goes bad. Im thinking maybe next time of freezing measured portions on a tray then popping them in a freezer bag. It should keep and u can take out what you need and it should thaw fast. Of course you wouldnt want to put it frozen in your hot coffee or it will make it cold fast!

Coffee and how to make a good cup

I love a good cuppa coffee, good beans, freshly ground, fresh brewed.........heavenly. Hate that stuff that sits on a burner at some places. I will make them brew fresh just for me. Heck I figure it aint free so I get what I WANT.

My passion for coffee started yrs. ago when I first moved to CA. I ended up working in a small gourmet shop. It sold cookware and giftware and had a small cafe that served good food and gourmet coffee beans. It was my first formal chef job. I wasnt hired as the chef, I was a clerk who would help in the kitchen if the chef needed it as part of my job. Two wks. into the job the chef loved me and my talents and insisted I work with him totally. I loved it and when he left, it became my kitchen. One of the things they sold there tho was fresh coffee beans. I got to taste them all. We never allowed the coffee to sit more than a half hr. on the burner. It then got dumped and fresh was made. Since then I do the same, it does make a difference. One of our lil jokes tho was after service as we cleaned, we inevidably would find beans all over the floor around the grinder. We jokingly named it floor blend and threatened to serve it to our regular customers when they would get silly with us .

When I left there I ended up working at the winery I talk about in my blogs. When we were just building the restaurant we would do alot of taste testing for things for the place and our menu. One of those things was choosing the right coffee for our place. The exe. chef knew where I had worked before coming there and recruited me to help him find the right blend. I was so honored. It was fun tasting and commenting on what people would like and what we liked and in the end we picked a mellow blend with a bit of french roast in it.

Most people do not have a clue how to make good coffee. Over the years Ive learned a few tricks and tried many things. It can be done! My daughter who never wanted to learn to cook, once she got married finally had to learn. One of the things she had trouble with was coffee. So I told her my way and now everyone just loves her coffee and always wants her to make it when shes visiting there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I used to work at a gourmet shop, we had gourmet coffee we served longggggggg before Starbucks became a household word. It changed me from a tea drinker to a coffee one. Heres some of the things Ive learned. First gotta find great beans and a blend you like it is trial and error, for everyones taste buds like different stuff but.......I right now use Costcos Seattle Mtn. coffees. My particular fav at the moment is their Seattle Mtn. blend which is Arabica beans. But I have used their French roast and adore it, the bf doesnt so this one is a compromise.

Second you want fresh and I do mean fresh, not that canned crap at the stores. One reason I like Costco is they roast their own and I frequently can get bags of beans still warm from the roaster. Next and I know theres arguments on both sides but......I freeze my bags of beans to keep them fresh. I grind them as I need them. I used to use one of those lil cheapie grinders you find everywhere but since aquiring a bf whos heavily into it, and just as picky about good coffee as I am, Ive since bought a Kitchen aid grinder. I grind on the medium grind, I never do what those things say but you have to find whats best for you. I drip brew my coffee in this cute Hamilton beach coffee pot that you just push the cup against and it fills it for you, but Ive had others. I dont believe its the coffee pot, its the ingredients you use.

Now most days we just use tap water but THERE IS a difference when you use a nice bottled water. We like it best but since this coffee addiction costs me so much (we go thru 3 3lb. bags every 2wks!) Ive kept the bottled water thing to a minimum buying it only on sale and cheap. For us the coffee is more important than that water. But it doesssssssss make a nice difference. Also a little trick I recently stumbled across makes a nice smooth cuppa ....... a few grains of salt...not alot a tiny lil pinch. You dont want it salty but it takes the bitterness out if you use it. We tried it and noticed the difference right away and now we never brew without it.

Oh and one more thing......clean your coffee pots regularly, you would be surprised at the difference in taste. Run white vinegar thru it once or twice followed by water once or twice. Once a month is good. I try to do that when Im in the kitchen with other things cuz it take a bit of time. Its amazing the gunk that builds up in there from the water over time.

*We love a strong cup of coffee so I use one heaping coffee scoop for two cups of coffee. My pot shows the markings on it for 2,4,6,8. etc. So one heaping scoop for each marking on my pot.

Caffeine is my shepherd
I shall not doze.
It maketh me to wake in green pastures:
It leadeth me beyond the sleeping masses. It restoreth my buzz:
It leadeth me in the paths of consciousness for its name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of addiction,
I will fear no Equal: For thou art with me;
Thy cream and thy sugar they comfort me. Thou preparest a carafe before me in the presence of Juan Valdez:
Thou anointest my day with pep;
My mug runneth over. Surely richness and taste shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the House of Folger's forever.
Amen