Irish Coffee Taken To A New Level, Put Your Face on a Pint, and New Bites You Don’t Want To Miss at Raglan Road Irish Pub in Orlando
Food holidays are a wonderful excuse to get together with friends. With the pretext of National Irish Coffee Day upon us, the team at Raglan Road Irish Pub in Orlando invited a small group of media to a rollicking good time happy hour. We had the opportunity to chat with co-owner John Cooke and preview not only their line up of 3 fabulous Irish Coffees but also some items being considered by Executive Chef Mark O’Neill to add to the menu.
Raglan Road is not only the best Irish Pub in Orlando, in my opinion it is also one of the best restaurants in town. Regardless of designation and in spite of it’s attractions area address.
Add a visit to this Disney Springs local gem to your calendar. I shared previously my 9 Reasons to Visit Raglan Road. Now, I’m sharing quite a few more!
National Irish Coffee Day at Raglan Road Irish Pub
“I like my coffee with cream and my literature with optimism.”
– Abigail Reynolds
It’s time to celebrate National Irish Coffee Day so if you want your coffee with cream and optimism, then head over to Raglan Road Pub in Orlando in Disney Springs.
All Day Saturday January 25th, Raglan Road is telling customers: “You buy the coffee, the whiskey is on us!” You can’t beat $4 Irish Coffee all day!
The History of Irish Coffee
Did you know Irish coffee was invented at the small Shannon Airport in southwest Ireland, around 1942?
Chef Joe Sheridan spiked hot coffee with Irish whiskey and topped it with whipped cream. When asked what it was, he responded “Irish Coffee!”
Travel writer, Stanton Delaplane, loved it so much he brought it to the Buena Vista Cafe in the United States. After repeated sampling and trips back to Ireland, Delaplane along with Buena Vista owners Jack Koeppler and George Freeberg were able to replicate the boozy concoction in 1952.
What’s The Secret To Making An Authentic Irish Coffee?
Raglan Road General Manager Alan Delahunt shared with us the trick to the seemingly simple Irish Coffee. Want to know what it is?
It’s the cream!
But let me not get ahead of myself. Irish Coffee is always made with 4 ingredients. Irish Whiskey, Coffee, Sugar and Cream. Alex Levine says it best:
“Only Irish Coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups: Alcohol, Caffeine, Sugar and Fat.”
Alex Levine, producer/writer of Orphan-Black
Easy Steps To a Great Irish Coffee:
- Add a heaping teaspoon of sugar to a warm glass
- Fill with 2/3rds full of freshly brewed coffee and stir to dissolve sugar.
- Add 1 1/4 ounce (or so) of Irish whiskey (Follow Alan’s mom’s advice “you gotta make it worth drinking!”)
- Add the cream slowly over the back (or front) of a spoon.
- NEVER stir the cream!
Adding the cream, so it floats is the tricky part. Delahunt recommends using lightly whipped milk or cream (not whipped cream and not heavy whipped). Pour the cream carefully into the coffee over the back (or front) of a spoon. I saw it done both ways and the key is to do it slowly.
Delahunt says “You must never sink the cream. At Raglan Road, if we sink it we don’t serve it.”
Irish Coffee To A New Level
Raglan Road Irish Pub offers three delicious takes on an Irish Coffee.
For purists, there’s the Classic Irish Coffee. For Starbucks lovers, there’s the Iced Irish. For the foodies, there’s Bush-Tail Nitro. Take your pick. You will not regret it. But a word of warning: you may be up all night if you drink too many of these. And they are easy to drink.
CLASSIC IRISH COFFEE
Paddy’s Irish Whiskey, Coffee, Brown Sugar and Cream. It’s a classic for a reason. On a cold night, it’s perfect.
BUSH -TAIL NITRO
Old World meets New World in this fantastic boozy and highly caffeinated concoction. Bushmills Irish Whiskey (established in 1608, the oldest distillery in the world!) blends with Orlando local favorite Foxtail cold brew coffee, brown sugar syrup and a touch of cream. It has the 4 classic ingredients to an Irish Coffee but taken to a whole new level! Raglan Road is the first in the country to serve this libation on draft!
It is now my new favorite! Others in the group agreed. The Nitro adds a lighter quality, yet cold brew has 40% more caffeine than regular coffee so you’re getting a definite jolt!
ICED IRISH
Paddy’s Irish Whiskey, butterscotch schnapps and Baileys Salted Caramel with iced coffee topped with whipped cream. It’s like Ireland’s answer to Starbucks! You would think it’s super sweet but you’d be wrong. It’s dessert in a glass.
New Dishes Considered For The Menu at Raglan Road Irish Pub
Raglan Road Irish Pub has been taking Irish pub fare to the next level since they opened in 2005. First with a menu created by Irish Master Chef Kevin Dundon. Now by Michelin star experienced Executive Chef Mark O’Neill. The native Irishman has been carefully putting his own stamp on the popular menu since he took over the kitchen in early 2019. Here’s a few fun items he’s considering adding to the menu. Please note photos are tasting portions and THESE ITEMS ARE NOT YET ON THE MENU. (But if you like them, I highly encourage you give them your vote and let them know!)
PORK & APPLE TEXTURES
Cheshire heritage pork cheek with apple, pistachio crumb, and smoked bacon. The pork was tender and full of flavor. The apple and pistachio beautifully provided the textures referred in the name. The smoked bacon was like the cherry on top of the sundae. Perfect!
MINI LAMB PIE
The flaky house-made pastry was generously filled with slow braised lamb shoulder, confit shallots, and smoked celery root. The rosemary jus was a lovely addition. I wanted to mop up the sauce with bread or more pastry it was so good.
CRISPY SCALLOPS
The Scallops Forest at Raglan Road is a crowd favorite. This Lime Battered Georges Bank scallops with avocado puree and pickled radish is it’s Michelin-Star cousin. A Must Eat Dish for sure!
RAGLAN RISOTTO
This is not a new item although it has been slightly revamped. It is a surprisingly fancy dish in a pub. Perfect for the vegetarian or pescaterian. A colorful asparagus & basil pesto risotto, with charred baby onions, garlic mascarpone, and pine nut crust. You can add Shrimp or Chicken for a full entree.
New Desserts Considered For The Menu at Raglan Road Irish Pub
Pastry Chef Paulina Milla, hails from Mexico but fits right in with the Irish team. Raglan Road has always served decadent desserts. We had the opportunity to sample some of her new creations which could be making their appearance on upcoming menus soon. Raglan Road prides itself in updating menus seasonally which always adds more reasons to visit.
ROCKY ROAD TO DUBLIN
This was the perfect trifecta for me! Chocolate, Ice Cream and Coffee in one to-die-for package. Smoked almond chocolate brownie topped with homemade marshmallow, toffee crunch, coffee infused chocolate ice cream and raspberry gel. I can’t wait for this to be added to the menu next!
BAILEY’S PANNA COTTA
So delightfully elegant. It makes all the calories worth it. Bailey’s Irish Cream panna cotta topped with honeycomb and chocolate macaron. Dreamy!
BLACK FOREST BON BON
Cherry compote, Kirsch Creme Brulee, Cherry Chocolate Mousse drizzled with Cherry Glaze. The right blend of cherry and chocolate flavors. So sexy! This would be a great Valentine’s Day celebration paired with a glass of bubbles. Or a pint of Guinness. We don’t judge.
WALNUT & COFFEE CAKE
Coffee infused sponge cake with walnut crunch. Lovely!
Your Face On A Pint of Beer at Raglan Road Irish Pub
The staff at Raglan Road have no problems telling you to “Put your face in our pint.” Now you can now get your face or logo imprinted on your pint of beer at Raglan Road.
Thanks to some clever technology, a photo can either be taken of you on the spot and sent to the machine via Bluetooth app. Or you can select from a catalog of thousands of pictures. Available with your order of a stout – go for classic Guinness or Raglan Road’s exclusive local craft brew made in collaboration with Coppertail Brewery in Tampa. The charge is an extra $2. You can decide if it’s worth it. It is most definitely memorable and Instagramable! Art you can drink!
Why Visit Raglan Road Irish Pub in Orlando?
As you can see, the food goes beyond pub fare. Elevated but not high brow. In fact their menu is quite cheeky with inventive craft cocktails and a beer line up that not only serves you a perfect pint of Guinness as well as local craft beer collaborations. Then if that was not enough, you get a full show with a talented rotation of Irish musicians and dancers.
Go sit at the bar and have a pint or Irish Coffee and dessert or grab a table and enjoy a full meal, either way, it’s bound to be a mighty fine time.
If you want to see more dishes and drinks you should order, read my 9 Reasons To Visit Raglan Road Irish Pub here! For more info visit RaglanRoad.com
I hope you’re inspired to go #MakeSomedayHappen one delicious bite, sip and trip at a time! Raglan Road Irish Pub definitely provides the inspiration for a trip to Ireland. (Top of my bucket list right now!)
Cheers! Slainte!
Go Epicurista
Disclosure: I was an invited media guest for promotional purposes only for some of these events. Others I paid for and donated my time and funds. I am under no obligation to share this post. As always, all opinions are my own. I only share with you products and experiences I love to inspire you to get together with family and friends, celebrate life and go #MakeSomedayHappen one delicious bite, sip and trip at a time! You can read more about my guidelines in my disclosure policy. Cheers!
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