Drinks 2026 | Drink Tank

Cup o’ the Irish

An ode to a classic warmer.

Grinning and warmth come naturally when clutching an Irish coffee. Hands wrapped around a glass vessel filled with steaming coffee, soul-thawing Irish whiskey, and a dollop of thick cream floating on top means everything is as cozy and soul satisfying as it gets.

Irish coffees likely were enjoyed in Ireland for far longer than their origin story proclaims. As it goes, chef Joe Sheridan created the concoction one night in winter 1943 at the Foynes Airport in Ireland to thaw passengers after their flight to New York was turned back due to foul weather.

The cocktail’s route into American hearts is believed to have begun at The Buena Vista in San Francisco in 1952, when the café’s owner, Jack Koeppler, and a travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, Stanton Delaplane, set about recreating the renowned Irish beverage with its now-classic combination: sugar, hot coffee, a splash of Irish whiskey, and a cold heavy cream topper.

Whether you like the original Irish staple recipe or enjoy a creative twist, you’ll find one to suit you in the Reno-Tahoe area. Here’s a sampling from around the region.

For the Purists
For a sipper in Sparks, tuck into O’skis Pub & Grille for a Buena Vista-inspired Irish coffee. Brother-and-sister team Lee and Cindy Pisiewski opened the pub on St. Patrick’s Day 2001, its name combining their Polish heritage with a fondness for Irish bars developed while traveling.

“We just loved Irish bars,” Cindy says. “No matter where you go, whether it’s Paris or London or Amsterdam … and you find an Irish bar, there’s just that warmth and friendliness when you walk in.”

Much trial and error resulted in the customer-favorite Irish coffee O’skis now serves. Cindy explains that love is their primary ingredient.

Others include carefully selected medium-roast coffee, Tullamore Dew whiskey, a touch of sugar, and hand-whipped heavy cream that floats perfectly on top. Ingredients are layered into a glass mug, as The Buena Vista uses.

Consistency is another key to the Pisiewskis’ Irish coffee. Regular customers know the well-trained bartenders at O’skis make it the same way every time.

In Downtown Reno, Ceol Irish Pub has kept to tradition with its Irish coffee since opening in 2007. Owner Ron McCarty explains the original beverage is simply sugar, Irish whiskey, coffee, and heavy cream served in a clear glass mug with a handle, with no stir stick. The layered flavors are only meant to mingle in your mouth.

“The key is that I use brown sugar, which dissolves instantly the second I put the hot [coffee] in there … then I add the whiskey, and then I float the cream on top,” McCarty says.

Ceol bartenders use a robust coffee, heavy cream they sweeten then aerate by hand, and smooth Tullamore Dew whiskey, as chef Sheridan did in Ireland. McCarty explains that part of the Irish coffee experience is the contrast in temperatures and flavors; sipping hot coffee through the cool, heavy cream floating on top. Where you drink them matters, too, McCarty claims.

“My piña coladas taste better on the beaches of Jamaica … Guinness tastes better in Ireland, and Irish coffees taste better in traditional Irish pubs,” says McCarty, whose grandfather hailed from Cork City, Ireland.

A Twist on Traditional
Not often do you find a sophisticated Irish coffee in an Old West-inspired dive bar, but Washoe Tavern in Washoe Valley boldly boasts one. You even can hitch your horse outside.

A family of Irish whiskey lovers gave new life to its decades-old neighborhood watering hole in summer 2025. Natalee and Ricky Dahlberg, along with Ricky’s parents, Russ and Sue Harris, opened the Washoe Tavern — formerly The Camp Bar — “on a family whim,” as Natalee describes it.

Crafting an exceptional Irish coffee for their customers was critical.

They experimented with flavor combinations using Natalee’s penchant for baking and Ricky’s knowledge of Irish libations.

Instead of adding pure Irish whiskey to coffee, the Dahlbergs use Shanky’s Whip, a whiskey liqueur from Ireland rich with notes of vanilla and caramel. Cold foam tops the cocktail, and a rock candy stick allows you to sweeten it as much or as little as you’d like. A secret ingredient Natalee says may be found in cookies sets it apart from others.

From the banks of the Truckee River in Tahoe City, the historic River Ranch Lodge & Restaurant has been serving Irish coffees for decades. In its current version, a muddled pure-cane sugar cube, along with the vanilla finish of Roe & Co. Irish Whiskey, sweeten the coffee that’s topped with whipped cream.

Then the customization begins. Guests are asked if they’d like a quarter-ounce pour of a liqueur such as amaretto, Baileys, or Frangelico. Dashes of cinnamon or nutmeg also can be requested.

“I’ve always thought of Irish coffee as one of those drinks that are meant to be customized a little bit,” says Alex Mondschein, manager of the River Ranch. “It’s kind of a build-your-own-adventure thing.”

RESOURCES

Ceol Irish Pub
Ceolirishpub.com

O’skis Pub & Grille
Oskispub.com

River Ranch Lodge and Restaurant
Riverranchlodge.com

Washoe Tavern
Thewashoetavern.com