IRISH COFFEE and a Good Book

The above collage features books from a list of St. Patrick's Day mysteries (complete list shown below) created by Janet Rudolph from her wonderful Mystery Fanfare blog.  I like seasonal reading and this group of St. Patty's murders certainly fills the bill.  What to imbibe while reading a St. Pat's mystery?  An Irish coffee, of course!

I always thought the making of an Irish Coffee to be pretty basic, so was rather stunned when I ordered one at a local pub and was delivered some horrid concoction of whiskey, Bailey's Irish Cream (Ew!  I'm not a fan of that creamy liquid that, to me, tastes more like ersatz flavored coffee creamer than a liqueur), with a stir-in of instant coffee.  I still shudder when I think of it, and have to shake my head at that waitress/bartender who delivered it with such aplomb, then upon seeing my rather horrified  look, pulled it back and asked, "What's in an Irish coffee?"  Well, coffee for one, Irish, for another, i.e. Irish whiskey, either Jameson or Old  Bushmill's if you want to be authentic.  It's permissible to drop a sugar cube in first if you like your coffee sweet, but I'm a purist so omit it.