The history of Irish coffee dates back to the early 20th century and is often associated with a specific location and person: Foynes, County Limerick, Ireland, and Joe Sheridan, a chef at the Foynes flying boat terminal. The story goes that in the 1940s, transatlantic flights often made a stopover at Foynes, and passengers would get off the planes to wait for their next flight. To provide some warmth and comfort to these travelers, Joe Sheridan, the head chef at the restaurant in the Foynes terminal, is said to have created the first Irish coffee. The drink was meant to soothe and warm passengers on a particularly cold night. The basic idea was to combine hot coffee with Irish whiskey and top it with whipped cream. The cream not only added a luxurious touch but also helped insulate the coffee, keeping it warm for longer. When asked by a passenger if he was serving Brazilian coffee, Joe Sheridan is said to have replied that it was "Irish coffee." The name stuck, and Irish coffee became a popular drink. In 1952, Stanton Delaplane, a travel writer for the San Francisco Chronicle, tasted Irish coffee at Foynes during a layover on his way to the United States. He was so impressed that he brought the idea back to the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco, and they worked on perfecting the recipe. The Buena Vista Cafe is often credited with popularizing Irish coffee in the United States. Today, Irish coffee is enjoyed all over the world and is made in various ways, but the classic recipe remains much the same. It has become a staple of Irish and Irish-American culture, often served in Irish pubs and restaurants, especially during the colder months.