Irish coffees with the Irish tech entrepreneurs
Have you ever had an “Irish Coffee?” Did you know it’s not Irish at all? Well, it was invented in San Francisco. Ooopsss, turns out it was invented in Ireland but popularized by the bar in San Francisco.
So, when I heard that “Paddy’s Valley” (a group of Irish tech entrepreneurs) was coming to San Francisco I knew I HAD to take them to where the Irish Coffee was brought to America, Buena Vista.
Even better: you’re invited! 8 p.m. next Monday, December 3rd at the Buena Vista bar. Be there and be Irish. San Francisco style.
Oh, and wait until the Chinese come to town and learn that the Chinese Fortune Cookie was invented here too. :-)
If you’re coming, please leave a comment here.
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November 28th, 2007 at 2:39 pm
Interesting - I heard it was invented in Scotland the other day!
November 28th, 2007 at 2:41 pm
I’ll be joining the group.
November 28th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Check your facts, Bobby. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_coffee
November 28th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Several of my Irish friends are on that trip. It will be, as they only say ironically, ‘good craic’.
Robert, they’ll drink you under the table. Don’t try to keep up, and be sure to eat first.
November 28th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Well I’m Irish and I’ve never had one, so it must be American ;)
November 28th, 2007 at 2:57 pm
Wikipedia says it was invented in Ireland :D
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Coffee
November 28th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
@brendan: wikipedia also said (at one point) that Adam Curry invented podcasting :P
November 28th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
But yes, the Irish coffee *was* invented in Ireland.
These guys just “re-created” (in their own words) the Irish-Irish coffee.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
OK, OK, I changed the post to be accurate. Come and have a few of these things and neither of us will care who invented them by the end of the evening.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:23 pm
I’m going on the trip but purely as a tech tourist…
(B)rendan is right, Irish coffee hails from Foynes in Co. Limerick. I’m from Limerick, so I should know. :)
The town holds an Irish Coffee festival annually (although it was cancelled in 2006).
On the hard drinking, well - I’m sure there’s a few hard nuts in the group.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:30 pm
[...] hello Scoble and Jeremiah [...]
November 28th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
Here’s our itinerary: http://paddysvalley.org/?p=51
Happy to meet up with anyone AND everyone from the 2nd to the 9th. We’ll also be having a networking event in Pete’s Tavern, 128 King St, San Francisco from 6pm to 8pm on Thursday the 6th of Dec. All are welcome.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Robert,
Thanks for the invite. Us “Paddy Valleyers” leave Ireland on Sunday, so should have got rid of our Jetlag by Monday and be “rareing” to go (as they say here!).
Looking forward to it!
November 28th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Will be there, making sure to punch our weight!
November 28th, 2007 at 3:56 pm
Americans, trying to always claim invention for all things. Pizza, the telephone.. :)
November 28th, 2007 at 3:57 pm
This is going to be one great trip. Great idea there on the Irish Coffee’s. Looking forward to Monday.
November 28th, 2007 at 4:10 pm
I’m part of the PaddysValley group and really looking forward to it Robert. And seeing as Irish Coffee was ‘invented’ only 15 miles away from me in Foynes, Co. Limerick I’ll be happy to regale you with the true history. You might be interested in clicking through to the webpage for the http://www.flyingboatmuseum.com/ to learn a bit more -
“Foynes, Ireland, became the center of the aviation world from 1939 to 1945. On July 9th 1939, Pan Am’s luxury Flying Boat, the “Yankee Clipper” landed at Foynes. This was the first commercial passenger flight on a direct route from the USA to Europe. During the late 1930s and early 1940s, this quiet little town on the Shannon became the focal point for air traffic on the North Atlantic…… Captain Charlie Blair, later to become the husband of the actress Maureen O’Hara, had made the first non-stop passenger flight from Foynes to New York in 25 hours, 40 minutes….”
November 28th, 2007 at 4:15 pm
I’ll meet there for some Irish coffees!!
November 28th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Like coffee. Like the Irish. Like Scoble. I’ll be there - I’ll look forward to it.
November 28th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
A couple of friends are coming, maybe I’ll be there.
November 28th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
happy to meet some ex-pats next monday. i’ll be there!
November 28th, 2007 at 7:27 pm
I’ll join you guys in spirit, I’ll be drinking wine here a home in Ireland :P
November 28th, 2007 at 7:32 pm
Can’t make it to SF, but I have visited the Flying Boat Museum at Foynes, and had one where it was created. :)
November 29th, 2007 at 5:04 am
Looking forward to meeting you, Robert.
Like Damien said, we’re around all week and interested in meeting anyone interested in meeting us! :-)
November 29th, 2007 at 5:10 am
Yum! :) BTW just spotted Maryamie’s really great recommendations for visitors to SF: http://maryamie.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!9592F3DEF41537A3!3974.entry
November 29th, 2007 at 8:23 am
Oooof! Don’t try to keep up with their drinking. Oh and just smile and nod when they ask “what’s the craic?” - Years of working with an Irish designer, and that question still stumped me every morning! ;)
Have a great week, little Paddies!
November 29th, 2007 at 8:52 am
Since the Irish are invading your blog thought I’d chip in. Sad I can’t be going on the Paddy’s Valley trip but I’ll be seeing you in London on the 7th.
November 29th, 2007 at 9:43 am
To understand the origin of Irish Coffee you must remember that coffee in Ireland was referred to as THE American coffee as Tea was the beverage of choice back then.
So when an America at Shannon asked for a cup of coffee a bartender replied Oh THE American coffee, and he said No gimme an Irish coffee and as the bar had whiskey and whipped cream the creative bartender fixed one-up and the American said I like Irish coffee, gimme another…
November 29th, 2007 at 10:59 am
I hope all these guys don’t come back to Ireland full of social networking and Web 2.0 koolaid. We’ve managed to have a realistic approach to IT in the Emerald Isle and the last thing we need is a load of hot air and vapourware being punted by a bunch of self-promoters and “visionaries”.
November 29th, 2007 at 1:05 pm
I’m a new reader of yours and I’ll be there! I think we should all bring a kindle and read stories to each others while sipping Irish Coffee.
November 29th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
Benoit: I’ll bring my Kindle.
November 30th, 2007 at 12:52 am
Mick f - words of wisdom in your post. Get thee to some barcamps, read their blogs and take the time to get to know these guys for yourself :-)
keith
November 30th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I’ll be there to see my Limerick friends.
December 1st, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Becker family lore has it that a distant relation of mine and Oliver St. John Gogarty invented “Irish Coffee” in the Fleet St. bar on Fleet St. in Dublin. Allegedly this was long before the guy in Foynes “invented it”.
Looking forward to see you all there Monday.
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:10 pm
Not Irish neither Entrepreneur (yet), but will try to attend since i am in the bay area and probably free that evening. see ya
December 3rd, 2007 at 3:57 pm
[...] Robert Scoble does something useful and brings together a bunch of Irish tech entrepreneurs for a drinkfest tonight at 8 p.m. at the Buena Vista Bar at Hyde and Beach in San Francisco. [Scobelizer] [...]
December 5th, 2007 at 8:25 am
[...] the Valley. Damien Mulley, Eoghan McCabe and Anton Mannering among the others. The meeting, at the Buena Vista in San Francisco, was based on a mixture among Web 2.0, beer and Irish [...]