Go green on St. Patrick's Day: coffee in Ireland

Ireland is not only Irish coffee. 

Even if tea is still more drunk than coffee, the trend is slowly changing. More and more people are drinking coffee, su much so that Dublin has recently been listed by a travel website as fourth best city in the world - first in Europe - for coffee lovers. 

Last year a national research found out that 3/4 of Irish adults drink coffee: Cappuccino is the most popular choice, followed by Americano. Only 10% drink Espresso.

There are more and more cafés serving different types of coffee; instant coffee sales are decreasing but, on the other hand, fresh coffee sales are increasing. That means that a new coffee culture is spreading.

Moreover, a recent initiative has drawn inspiration from the Italian tradition of "suspended coffee" and has been introduced to Ireland to help people in need, especially homeless people. For further information, visit Suspended Coffee Ireland's website or their facebook page.

A cup of coffee is really enough to change the world, even if little by little.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Irish Coffee

 

It is certainly a kind of coffee for grown-ups because its main ingredients are coffee, of course, but also brown sugar and Irish whiskey.

Preparation:

- Pour black coffee into a mug

- Add two teaspons of brown sugar

- Stir until sugar is dissolved

- Add 1 shot of Irish whiskey and mix slightly

- Add cream on top

History

It was created by Joe Sheridan, a chef who worked in Foynes, Ireland. He wanted to warm up some Americans who had just arrived to Ireland, so he added Irish whiskey to coffee. They asked him if it was Brazilian coffee. He answered: "It's Irish!".

This cocktail represents one of the ways Europeans have started considering as a local product an item which actually came from very distant countries.

Image source: Commons Wikimedia