James Beard knew a thing or two about good eating and drinking so it should be no surprise that he gave Ireland's signature coffee drink his stamp of approval.

Traditionally, Irish coffee is served hot but Beard's “Chilled Irish Coffee,” which first appeared in the June 1973 issue of House & Garden, is served with ice.

This small change makes Beard's version a superb choice for brunch on a hot day by transforming the slowly sipped hot tipple into a crushable and creamy iced beverage.

Traditional Irish coffee uses whiskey and sugar-sweetened hot black coffee as the base, topped lightly with whipped cream, and retains much of the coffee's bold roasted taste.

Beard’s version calls for mixing some cream directly into freshly brewed, sweetened coffee, yielding a lighter (yet still richly flavored) drink.

When crafting his version, Beard started by adding a layer of whipped cream to the bottom of the glass along with the ice. A splash of liquor (preferably Irish whiskey) came next.

Then, the chilled creamy coffee mix and a second layer of whipped cream. As a final touch, the culinary expert recommended grating nutmeg or cinnamon over the top.