Drink of The Week: Irish Coffee at Reilly’s

By RJ Johnson

It’s well known amongst bar staff that certain holidays are amateur nights. New Years, Halloween, Cinco De Mayo, and most recently, St. Patrick’s Day, the night when everyone decks out in their green and hits the town for shots of Jameson and a Guinness draft. If you want to turn professional and really do it like the Irish do, keep that same spirit going year-round at a neighborhood pub, and while you are there get yourself an Irish Coffee. This traditional beverage is loved by many, but if it is not prepared correctly the entire concept is ruined. Over at Reilly’s, off Fireweed and D, you can always expect the authentic cocktail, with an even better bar experience.

The location has history as the longest-running Irish Pub in Anchorage. Opened in 1970 by Joe and Peggy Reilly, and originally named the Cheechako Bar, it has always been the gold standard for not only St. Patrick’s Day celebrations, but also a place for intimate gatherings and a fun night out. In 2005, Joe’s daughter Jeanne took over, and changed the name to Reilly’s to honor her family. The patriarch of the family always made sure that the bartenders know how to make the best Irish Coffee in town, and newcomer Aaron Arthur Holmes has spent his past year getting it perfect.

Having previously worked as a kitchen manager, bar manager, and server, Holmes knows the ins and outs of the bar and restaurant industry. Working at the log cabin looking location has taught him an entirely new side of the business, and it is an education he is grateful for.

“I have been coming to this bar for a decade. Reilly’s is family. I was incredibly honored and touched a couple years ago when she asked me to fill in for St. Patrick’s Day, but then to be offered a regular spot on the schedule really means a lot to me,” Holmes said. “Jeannie is absolutely wonderful to work with, and while she is a boss, she is just amazing and kind.”

Holmes got offered his spot after filling in for St. Patrick’s Day 2018. He is a large personality, and quick with a joke or some sass behind the bar. It feels more natural for him than many other jobs he has held for the past 16 years. “I knew some stuff, but I am learning as I am going. Having history in the industry, I knew more about casual dining and fine dining. As a bartender I get to be more myself, I get to be the real me. I am in control of the atmosphere and I am more relaxed. With fine dining you must be more professional, and as a bartender you get to loosen up.”

Reilly’s customer Bradow, who also has experience working behind a bar, as well as in a kitchen, had no complaints about the Irish Coffee he was served recently while visiting Holmes at the pub. He almost spoke poetically about the classic beverage.

“Very well blended,” he said. “Cream is soft and thick, but not too think to be enjoyable. Smooth and delectable beverage. Very sweet, slight hint of chocolate aftertaste.”

Holmes laughed at the compliment, and stated matter-of-factly, “I make ‘em how Jeannie Riley intended them!”

Much of the magic of an Irish Coffee comes from where it is served, and the ambiance and feel of Reilly’s is correct every time that you stop in. For Bradow it’s about knowing that the pub fills its own niche.

“It’s not a dive bar; it’s a neighborhood bar, but it’s more. It’s a family bar — comfy, cozy, relaxing, inviting,” he said. “When you walk in, you already feel welcomed.”

Holmes agrees, and attributes that feeling to location as much as anything else. When asked why it is one of the few locations in town that always seems to maintain a crowd, he said, “It’s not on the downtown strip; that’s part of the allure. You aren’t coming here to have a big party. Even on our Friday and Saturday nights, when we are busy, it is a different feel. It’s not a super-young party crowd, and even the younger folks that do show up, come because it is a different atmosphere. They want a place to chill and hang out.”

Several places claim to have been the origin for what is now a well-known drink around the world but the most popular legend attributes the creation to Joe Sheridan, chef at Foynes Port near Limerick. Transatlantic flight carrying political or famous figures often stopped over at the airbase to refuel, or if weather conditions were hazardous, passengers would stay the night. One flight had to turn around halfway through its journey and as the exhausted and chilled passengers made their way back in, Sheridan decided to whip them up something to make their experience a little better. Legend has it that a silence descended over the space as everyone sipped the warm and sweet cocktail. Stanton Delaplane, a writer for the San Francisco Chronicle claims to have brought Irish Coffee to the United States after drinking it at Shannon Airport, and convinced the Buena Vista Café to be the first to serve it.

You can find the recipe for an Irish Coffee easily with an internet search. 4 parts hot coffee, 2 parts Irish whiskey, a teaspoon of brown sugar, and an ounce of fresh cream, but most bartenders know that the secret lies in the preparation. It’s a technique that Holmes is not ready to share, but would be happy to let you watch if you come on down to the pub. The recipe we enjoy best is also attributed to Joe Sheridan, and is as follows:

Irish Coffee

Cream – Rich as an Irish Brogue

Coffee – Strong as a friendly hand

Sugar – Sweet as the tongue of a Rogue

Whiskey – Smooth as the Wit of the Land