Irish coffee was invented by the Irish airports for US visitors back in 1945 in Shannon airport apparently. - Although it may even date back to the flyingboats of Foynes in the 1930’s. Everyone knows what an Irish coffee is, including the majority of Irish bar staff ( who are not Irish anymore. They are Australian, French, Filipino, Polish, Latvian, Czech, etc etc. )
Everyone in Ireland knows about it. Everyone.
- How ever I’ve heard reports of US tourists arriving in off-licence premises (=takeout-only liquor store) in a shed, on an island (one of the Gaelic speaking Aran islands), where they selling nothing but cans of beer and bottles of whiskey and order Irish coffees and some Long Island Ice Teas, which causes untold mirth amongst the Irish to think about it, cos we all have aunty Eileens and cousin Nancy from New York, and to think about them braving the rural atlantic rough-and-ready seafaring coastal hospitality, trying to visit megalithic forts in hurricane weather, with their perfumed hair and finest sweaters… where they’re lucky to even arrive without seasickness (I always get nauseous on that boat), and expecting the trendy sophistication of Dublin’s capuccinos alleys.. is a bit comical to us, even if we understand and sympathise at the same time.
The one thing about Ireland, is that everyone has an expert opinion on it. Some opinions are so blatantly incorrect. Others are too correct, and some are just comical. Personally, I think you should be able to order anything, anywhere, anytime, and if I were there, I would have made their Long Island Ice teas, and their Irish coffees myself.