Hampton Bays – In celebration of St. Patrick's Day this installment of Mixology will feature a longtime Irish favorite and the grandfather of all coffee related cocktails, Irish Coffee.

The Irish Coffee at Tom McBrien's.

Among the many great Irish pubs on the East End one of the best is Tom McBrien's of Hampton Bays, so what better place to get the simple, yet delicious, recipe for this Celtic classic. A favorite of Hamptons' locals, this pub/restaurant is the creation of an Irish born stone mason and carpenter and a retired Irish American New York City cop.

Although Tom McBrien's is only entering its fifth year of operation, the place has the feel of a classic century old Irish pub with a dining room that might have been transported right out of Lord Guinness' castle. A favorite for cigar smokers will be the outdoor patio which is faux walled to look like the store fronts of an Irish village with a full alfresco bar during the fair season. There is live Irish music in the dining room nightly and daily specials that include a weekday 2fers Happy Hour, a $5 daily lunch burger special and the daily "Nip & Shuck" special of buckets of beer nips and shellfish appetizers.

So getting down to the business of a great Irish Coffee, bartender Rob Bellucci assured me, despite his last name, he was half Irish and that there is a reason why Tom McBrien's Irish Coffee is one of the best around, the brown sugar simple syrup. Simple syrup is a base ingredient in many cocktails, simply made by boiling sugar in water and then letting it cool. I have always known that brown sugar is the choice for a good Irish Coffee; however, this is the first time I have heard of a simple syrup made with it. Bellucci began his construction of Tom McBrien's Irish Coffee by giving credit where credit was due for the brown sugar simple syrup.

Tom McBrien's is located in Hampton Bays.

"Traditionally simple syrup has a white sugar base, but Patrick's Pub in NYC used brown sugar and that is the difference. So we start off with about a half once of the brown sugar simple syrup, it doesn't change the flavor, instead I think it makes it smoother. Then we add one ounce and a half of good old Jameson Irish whiskey, there are other Irish whiskeys, but I think it has to be Jameson. Then we add piping hot coffee and I mean piping hot. What makes a great Irish coffee is piping hot coffee topped with ice cold cream. We use sweet heavy cream and put it in a blender to add some air so it will float, but we don't turn it into whipped cream and, again, it has to be ice cold. Float that cream on top and just enjoy the best Irish Coffee you can make."

You will frequently get an Irish Coffee with green Crème de Menthe drizzled on top; frankly, it is clichéd as if all things Irish have to have a touch of green and it changes the taste from real Irish Coffee to mint Irish Coffee. If you really need to top your cream, I suggest Irish Mist liquor, otherwise after the March 20, St. Patrick's Day parade in Hampton Bays head to Tom McBrien's for a great Irish Coffee.

Ingredients:
 • 1 ½ ounces Jameson Irish Whiskey
 • ½ once of brown sugar simple syrup
 • 6 ounces piping hot coffee
 • Ice cold sweet heavy cream

Tom McBrien's is at 174 East Montauk Highway, Hampton Bays, 631-728-7137.