THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, March 16, 1995               TAG: 9503150026
SECTION: FLAVOR                   PAGE: F4   EDITION: FINAL 
COLUMN: MORSELS
SOURCE: RUTH FANTASIA
                                             LENGTH: Short :   48 lines

MARCH 17, TOAST ERIN WITH GLASS OF IRISH COFFEE

OF ALL THE wonderful foods and beverages from Ireland - corned beef and cabbage and soda bread, for example - my favorite is Irish coffee.

Maybe it's because the combination of whiskey, coffee and cream warms my soul. Or maybe it's because the only time my husband asked my opinion on a kitchen purchase, it was for a set of Irish coffee glasses.

Irish coffee was invented at Foynes airport, near Shannon, Ireland, in 1943 by chef Joe Sheridan. He thought weary travelers needed something stronger than coffee, say reports from the Los Angeles Times Syndicate and Knight-Ridder News Service.

Stan Delaplane, a travel columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, discovered the drink in the early 1950s. He took the recipe back to California, where it caught on quickly.

In the early 1980s, when I was a bartender, I was amazed at some of the things people would do to a drink. Irish coffee was no exception.

One restaurant owner insisted I top each Irish coffee with green creme de menthe. A deplorable custom, because the menthe adds a harsh taste to the cream and loses its attractiveness if the waiter is delayed getting to the table.

I've heard people argue about whether Irish coffee includes sugar, and at least one customer wanted me to caramelize the sugar with flaming brandy.

The last method makes a great show and a tasty, if not authentic, drink. But if the coffee doesn't melt the caramelized sugar, the only easy way to wash the glass is by breaking it. Preferably against a Blarney stone.

Below is Sheridan's original recipe. Incidentally, the Irish coffee photograph on Page F1 is by staffer Bill Tiernan. TASTY EVENT

This year's Taste of Hampton Roads is from 6:30 to 9 p.m. March 29 at the Norfolk Omni Waterside. The event, which benefits the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia, will feature tastings from more than 25 area restaurants, including Le Chambord, Bella Pasta, Bienville Grille and Freemason Abbey. Tickets cost $35 per person and are available at the Omni, the Foodbank and some NationsBank locations. Call 624-1333. by CNB