The distinguished panel of judges.
It’s official.
In the sixth and largest Irish coffee competition ever sponsored by Ancient Order of Hibernians Division 1 in Swedesburg, Elks Lodge 714 in Bridgeport rose to the top. (8-East came in a close second, and there was a tie for third with Goodwill Fire Company and the Rib-House.)
Nine groups competed Thursday night, according to the Times Herald of Norristown.
Check out the newspaper’s video for an up-close look at the event.
Bill Pergine, bartender at Screwball's, with his award and the not-so-secret ingredient for his winning Irish coffee recipe.
No hat trick for the ladies from the Bridgeport Rib House. The two-time winners of the AOH Notre Dame Division 1 in Swedesburg’s annual Irish Coffee Contest did not go home with the big prize this year.
Instead it went to relative newcomer, Screwball’s Sports Bar in King of Prussia, for its smooth-tasting recipe made with home made whipped cream and two secret ingredients that even experienced Irish coffee drinkers couldn’t guess—and Screwball’s isn’t sharing. “Ah,” said owner Tom McGrath, wincing. “I don’t think I want anyone to know because we want to win again next year.”
Bartender Bill Pergine said they came upon the winning recipe on Tuesday, after trying a few concoctions.
The Bridgeport Rib House did go home with the “crowd favorite” award, while Guppy’s, a Conshy post-parade hangout, came in second, and the Swedesburg Fire Company came in third at the event that happened Thursday night, March 12.
The winner gets to ride on a float in Saturday’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Conshohocken. Clearly, Screwball’s didn’t expect to win: As we left, we heard Screwball’s Tom McGrath on his cellphone saying, “Wow, I’m going to have to cancel everything I was going to do on Saturday.”
Bridgeport Rib House winners, from left, Kim Loncher, Lisa Van Fosse, Jeanine Hand, and Barb Brown.
Kim Loncher of the Bridgeport Rib House was going to enter a brand new recipe in this year’s AOH Div. 1 Irish Coffee Contest. “I made up a new one and tried it on our patrons,” she explained. “Only two people liked it. So went back to our old recipe.”
Turned out to be good thinking. The Rib House entry took home first place for the second year running in this relatively new annual event which was held at the AOH Hall in Swedesboro on Thursday night, March 13. And there are no “secret” ingredients. Kim shared the recipe with us last year and you can see it here.
It must have been tough for the judges (a collective “awwwwww” here). I sampled all of the coffees and I would have had a hard time choosing. For example, the entry from The Elks Lodge 714, which came in second, is just the drink you want after a cold day outside (like this year’s St. Paddy’s Day parade in Philadelphia). Light on the coffee, heavy on the Jamesons.
Clarissa Morales, bartender at Screwballs Sports Bar and Grill, said she and fellow barkeeps concocted their Guinness-looking entry by talking to “people in the area of Irish descent.” And she had some very explicit instructions for drinking her brew. “Don’t stir it up!” she told me. “Just drink it. You don’t stir Guinness.”
One of the more intriguing entries came from Anthony’s Tavern and Restaurant in Bridgeport. Anthony Pasceri made his entry with espresso (very good), brown sugar (excellent), Irish whiskey (nice), a little fire (what?). The fire, he explained, helped meld all the flavors. Okay. But what he added next had me wondering why he didn’t even place. He called it “nada.” He pulled out a pastry bag and squirted a little on my finger. Oh my. I’m not a big fan of whipped cream, but I could have asked for a cup of this. In fact, the woman standing next to me did ask for one. It was, he explained, just sugar, heavy cream, and a little Bailey’s. Just!
Other participants this year included Chick’s Tavern and Guppy’s whose entries were also delicious. You could tell: By the end of the competition, the only drops of Irish coffee left were in front of the judges.
The 2007 judges: from left, Jack Brennan, Ed Halligan, Seamus Dougherty, and Verne Leedom.
Who makes the most bracing brew of all?
Our friends at AOH Notre Dame Division No. 1 will put it to the test Thursday, March 13, in the club’s Annual Irish Coffee contest. The event kicks off at 7 p.m. at the division hall at 342 Jefferson Street in Swedesburg, Upper Merion Township.
Nine candidates will be fighting for bragging rites for 2008. Last year’s winner, Bridgeport Rib House, will return to defend their title. Chick’s Tavern, the 2006 winner, is hoping for a comeback. Others contestants include: Screwballs, Spams, American Pub, Boathouse, Elks, Swedesburg Fire House and Guppy’s.
Five judges will decide on the best-tasting coffee. The judges are: Pete Hand, 2008 Grand Marshal of the Conshohocken St. Patrick’s parade; and Verne Leedom, Jim Murphy, Jim Cahill, and Jim Dougherty, all past grand marshals. Parade chairman Jim Gallagher will make any decisions on tie-breakers.
The tasting is only part of the judging. Contestants also will be vying for “best presentation.” In previous years, contestants have gone all out on presentations.
Winners will receive the first place plaque, plus a place in the line of march in the Conshohocken St. Patrick’s Parade that takes place on March 15. Second- and third-place finishers also will be honored.
Coffee, sugar, whiskey. Such a simple recipe, it’s a wonder no one thought of it sooner.
No, the Celts didn’t serve it to the invading Norsemen. Irish Coffee is of far more recent vintage: It was purportedly concocted in 1942 by Chef Joe Sheridan at the Foynes Airport in Ireland to assuage cranky passengers whose flight had to turn back because of bad weather. By all accounts, it worked.
And at the second annual Irish Coffee Competition sponsored by the AOH Notre Dame Division 1 last Thursday night in Swedesburg, there wasn’t a cranky person in the house. But it was clear that there is really no simple recipe for Irish Coffee. Yes, it always has coffee, and yes, it always has whiskey. But every chef and bartender and fire chief and guy named Murray has his or her own “secret ingredient” that makes each cup different. In fact, there may be more versions of Irish Coffee than Starbucks has menu items.
The winner of the AOH’s competition, for example, has the basics, plus Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and crème de menthe, plus the now ubiquitous chocolate shavings and whipped cream. It’s the recipe of Kim Lonchar, assistant manager of the Bridgeport Rib House, who tested versions on her customers for the last two weeks before coming up with the winning combination. “I had everyone in the bar testing them last night,” says Lonchar who, with her compatriots, will be riding on a float in the AOH’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 10 in Conshohocken as their reward.
It was a tough competition. “The vote was really close,” said AOH president Pete Hand before he handed out the awards. And it must have been. The judges—the current and three former grand marshals of the parade—seemed to each have a different favorite among the six entries, which they sipped in a blind taste test.
Second place went to Guppy’s of Conshohocken for a recipe developed by Mick Higgins, a painting contractor (Galway Bay Painting of Plymouth Meeting) who is not only a friend of the owner but a former pub owner himself from Galway. “I’m also a good drinker and a part-time bartender,” he explained with a grin. He didn’t share his ingredients, but his version of Irish Coffee seemed to have a “it’ll put hair on your chest” ratio of strong coffee to good whiskey—and it drew judge Seamus Dougherty to the Guppy’s table to have a whole cup. “This was my favorite,” he said, oblivious to the “Got Milk” slash of whipped cream in his mustache.
Coming in third was Elks Lodge #714 of Bridgeport which served Irish brownies with their coffee, presented, appropriately, in shot glasses. Maureen Di Stefano explained what made the brownies Irish: “There’s Bailey’s in them!”
Though honorable mentions weren’t handed out, all of the other entries were honorably mentioned by someone. They included the Swedesburg Volunteer Fire Company (recipe from Chief Bernie Gutkowski), Spamps Restaurant of Conshohocken (recipe by bartender Dawn Peacock); and defending champs Chick’s of Bridgeport (recipe by bartender Tracey Looby and Amy Chiccarine).
You’ll be happy to know that we snagged two of the recipes for you, including one that made Irishphiladelphia.com very happy (but we won’t say which one, since we really liked them all).
Irish Coffee Judge Vern Leedom has a full cup of the Rib House's Irish coffee after the judging.
Coffee, sugar, whiskey. Such a simple recipe, it’s a wonder no one thought of it sooner.
No, the Celts didn’t serve it to the invading Norsemen. Irish Coffee is of far more recent vintage: It was purportedly concocted in 1942 by Chef Joe Sheridan at the Foynes Airport in Ireland to assuage cranky passengers whose flight had to turn back because of bad weather. By all accounts, it worked.
And at the second annual Irish Coffee Competition sponsored by the AOH Notre Dame Division 1 last Thursday night in Swedesburg, there wasn’t a cranky person in the house. But it was clear that there is really no simple recipe for Irish Coffee. Yes, it always has coffee, and yes, it always has whiskey. But every chef and bartender and fire chief and guy named Murray has his or her own “secret ingredient” that makes each cup different. In fact, there may be more versions of Irish Coffee than Starbucks has menu items.
The winner of the AOH’s competition, for example, has the basics, plus Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream, and crème de menthe, plus the now ubiquitous chocolate shavings and whipped cream. It’s the recipe of Kim Lonchar, assistant manager of the Bridgeport Rib House, who tested versions on her customers for the last two weeks before coming up with the winning combination. “I had everyone in the bar testing them last night,” says Lonchar who, with her compatriots, will be riding on a float in the AOH’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade on March 10 in Conshohocken as their reward.
It was a tough competition. “The vote was really close,” said AOH president Pete Hand before he handed out the awards. And it must have been. The judges—the current and three former grand marshals of the parade—seemed to each have a different favorite among the six entries, which they sipped in a blind taste test.
Second place went to Guppy’s of Conshohocken for a recipe developed by Mick Higgins, a painting contractor (Galway Bay Painting of Plymouth Meeting) who is not only a friend of the owner but a former pub owner himself from Galway. “I’m also a good drinker and a part-time bartender,” he explained with a grin. He didn’t share his ingredients, but his version of Irish Coffee seemed to have a “it’ll put hair on your chest” ratio of strong coffee to good whiskey—and it drew judge Seamus Dougherty to the Guppy’s table to have a whole cup. “This was my favorite,” he said, oblivious to the “Got Milk” slash of whipped cream in his mustache.
Coming in third was Elks Lodge #714 of Bridgeport which served Irish brownies with their coffee, presented, appropriately, in shot glasses. Maureen Di Stefano explained what made the brownies Irish: “There’s Bailey’s in them!”
Though honorable mentions weren’t handed out, all of the other entries were honorably mentioned by someone. They included the Swedesburg Volunteer Fire Company (recipe from Chief Bernie Gutkowski), Spamps Restaurant of Conshohocken (recipe by bartender Dawn Peacock); and defending champs Chick’s of Bridgeport (recipe by bartender Tracey Looby and Amy Chiccarine).
You’ll be happy to know that we snagged two of the recipes for you, including one that made irishphiladelphia.com very happy (but we won’t say which one, since we really liked them all).