When in San Francisco, CA, one must make a stop at The Buena Vista, the first place in the US to sell Irish Coffee. Irish Coffee is made of fresh black coffee, whiskey, and whipping cream. The only problem... whiskey is grain alcohol and many people who are gluten free cannot drink grain alcohols. Even though I react to grain alcohols, I had to check the place out to see what the hype was about.
In 1952, BV owner, Jack Koeppler asked international travel writer Stanton Delaplane to recreate an Irish coffee made in Ireland. After numerous unsuccessful attempts, they finally perfected the floating cream by aging it for48 hours and frothing it to a certain consistency (the secret to authentic Irish coffee).
Upon sitting at the bar, I asked the bartender for a drink menu to see if there were any gluten free, corn free options. His wry sense of humor responded with "We have water and Irish Coffee," as I eyed the full bar of liquors behind him. He asked what I could not have and suggested replacing the whiskey with Disarrono, an amaretto liqueur. I appreciated his knowledge of grain alcohols and the recommendations he provided. He said rum (sugar cane based) would change the flavor too much. I found out later that not only does the BV serve other drinks, they also serve food (can we say breakfast with an Irish Coffee?!). But back to the Irish Coffee, Wow! The Disarrono was a great addition! How delicious and a perfect drink to warm you up after a chilly, foggy day outside! I will definitely be back on my next trip to San Fran for the Irish Coffee and the humor, and better yet, arriving by cable car!
The Buena Vista
2765 Hyde St.
San Francisco, CA 94109
www.thebuenavista.com
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