The cream of Irish cocktails floats to top
But it is doubtful if a Tyrone-born chef had that portrayal in mind when he invented the famous cocktail on a damp and miserable night in Foynes, Co Limerick, 60 years ago.
Foynes was a major hub for air traffic between the US and Europe at the time. Travel was by flying boats. One flight that took off in 1943 encountered bad weather and turned back. Back in the terminal restaurant passengers were tired and needed something to lift their spirits.
Chef Joe Sheridan, who was appointed to Foynes after telling Brendan O'Regan, the controller of catering, that he was the best man for the job, grabbed a bottle of whiskey and decided to put "a little drop of Irish" into the coffee he was serving.
He got a great reaction from one of the passengers in the old BOAC lounge. "Hey, buddy", a surprised American called out after sipping it. "Is this Brazilian coffee?" "No", replied Joe. "That's Irish coffee."
The rest, as they say, is history. For the cocktail of coffee, brown sugar, cream and a good dollop of Irish whiskey has since become part of our national identity.
Defined in dictionaries as a strong, hot coffee with Irish whiskey and sugar and a float of plain or whipped cream, it is now a recognised Irish symbol. It has been used to toast celebrities and ordinary folk, hail success and put the perfect touch to fine meals and social gatherings.
But now it is set for a new role with the production of the first conveniently-packaged ready-to-go Irish coffee following an idea by a brother and sister, who saw the potential while competing at the Irish World Coffee Championships in Foynes.
Declan Corbett, current world champion, and his sister Anna, the 2001 Munster champion and that year's world runner-up, from the Corbett Court restaurant at Ballinrush, Kilworth, Co Cork, have years of experience in the food and drinks industry. The idea was to exploit a traditional Irish beverage concept and transform it into a marketable product with appeal to a wide range of consumers at home and abroad.
Moorepark Technology, the renowned Teagasc research centre, outside Fermoy, Co Cork, is a service company providing pilot plant and research services to the food processing industry.
It began the task of developing the product, which began to take shape after senior scientist Dr Brendan O'Kennedy overcame technological difficulties in achieving the consistency needed to produce the perfect Irish coffee at the point of consumption.
Corbett's Irish coffee received a positive reaction from tastings in Cork, not just because of its convenience and long shelf stability the cream lasts over 12 months but because it remains faithful to the traditional taste. There was a similar response when the product was launched at WSWA in Orlando, Florida, last week, as part of a Bord Bia promotion. It will also be marketed at Vineexpo in Bordeaux in June and through www.irishcoffee.ie.
