This Sunday (Jan 25) welcomes in a newly decreed holiday that we can get behind: National Irish Coffee Day. According to folklore, Irish coffee was invented by Chef Joseph Sheridan in 1942 to welcome visiting Americans. With it being quite the brisk night in Ireland, Sheridan added whiskey to their coffee and voila! The Irish take this prized recipe so seriously they’ve even set up an international standard code for it (NSAI 417, page 15). So there.

Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Coffee
1/4 oz. simple syrup
1 1/2 oz. Tullamore D.E.W. Original
Lavazza Gran Selezione Coffee
Lightly whipped heavy cream

To a pre-heated coffee glass add the ingredients above and stir. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

OG Irish Coffee
(Brought back from Ireland by San Francisco Chronicle travel writer Stanton Delaplane in the 1950s)
1 1/2 oz. Jameson Irish whiskey
5-7 oz. hot coffee or 2 shots of espresso
1-2 tsp. brown sugar
Fresh whipped cream

Run hot water slowly over a glass mug until it’s at room temperature or hotter, and then dry it. Add brown sugar to mug and pour in whiskey. Add coffee or espresso, leaving room at top for whipped cream. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved. Set whipped cream on drink.

Iced Irish Coffee
2 oz. coffee (cold brewed, as potent as possible)
2½ oz. Irish whiskey (note: we used Redbreast, but any will do, really)
½ oz. simple syrup
Fresh whipped cream

Add coffee, whiskey and syrup together in your glass of choice filled with ice. Mix ingredients together. Top with whipped cream and freshly grated cinnamon, ginger or nutmeg.