A hot drink combining freshly brewed coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar, and a float of lightly whipped cream. Traditionally served in a stemmed glass, it is made by warming the glass, dissolving sugar in the whiskey, adding strong hot coffee, and topping with cream poured over the back of a spoon so it floats. The contrast between the hot, sweetened coffee and the cool cream is central to its character. Created in the 1940s at Foynes in Ireland for weary transatlantic passengers, it became famous through San Francisco’s Buena Vista Café. Variations exist worldwide, but the classic balance of coffee, whiskey, and cream defines the authentic serve.