National Irish Coffee Day is observed each year on January 25 and recognizes the origin of Irish coffee. The drink was created in 1943 by Joe Sheridan, a chef at the Foynes Flying Boat Terminal in Ireland. He developed the recipe to warm and revive passengers arriving from long transatlantic flights by combining hot coffee with Irish whiskey and topping it with lightly whipped cream.
☕️ National Irish Coffee Day is just one of many coffee-themed national days. Check out our special list where we’ve gathered all 25 coffee holidays, including coffee weeks and months.
What is Irish Coffee?
Traditional Irish coffee (caife Gaelach) is made with freshly brewed hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and brown sugar, which helps highlight the whiskey’s flavor.
The drink is finished with lightly whipped cream that is thick enough to float on top but and doesn’t mix in. The distinct layers allow drinkers to sip the hot coffee through a smooth creamy layer, softening the bitterness of the coffee and the sharpness of the whiskey while also helping the drink retain heat longer.
It reached the United States in 1952, when travel writer Stanton Delaplane brought the recipe to San Francisco and worked with the owner of the Buena Vista Cafe to recreate it accurately. The café became central to popularizing Irish coffee in the U.S. and remains closely associated with the drink, reportedly serving up to 2,000 Irish coffees per day.
When Is National Irish Coffee Day?
National Irish Coffee Day is observed each year on January 25. The table below lists the dates for this holiday through 2030.
| Year | Date |
|---|---|
| 2026 | January 25 |
| 2027 | January 25 |
| 2028 | January 25 |
| 2029 | January 25 |
| 2030 | January 25 |
How People Celebrate National Irish Coffee Day
- Many people mark the day by making Irish coffee at home, following Joe Sheridan’s original four-ingredient rule: “Cream as rich as an Irish brogue; coffee as strong as a friendly hand; sugar as sweet as the tongue of a rogue; and whiskey as smooth as the wit of the land.”
- Others choose to celebrate by visiting local Irish pubs or specialty coffee shops that serve Irish coffee, often prepared in the traditional style or with a house variation.
- On social media, #NationalIrishCoffeeDay sees strong participation. Food and cocktail creators frequently share short videos and photos showing how to achieve the clean separation between hot coffee and cool cream, which is considered the defining mark of a properly made Irish coffee.
