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Everyone I know loves Bailey’s Irish Cream. In coffee, on the rocks, or in a fanciful cocktail such as the Mudslide, Girl Scout Cookie, or Nutty Irishman—it is just plain delicious.
Bailey’s Irish Cream was the first Irish cream liqueur on the market. It was created in the early 1970’s by Gilbey’s of Ireland, a large distillery borne out of a gin distillery founded in 1857 by Sir Walter Gilbey. The name “Bailey’s” was inspired by the name of a local restaurant owned by John Chesterman, who gave permission to use the name. The distillery—Gilbey’s of Ireland—eventually became a division of the even-larger International Distillers & Vintners, which eventually merged in with Diageo (the current producer of Bailey’s).
The Bailey’s brand of Irish cream liqueur may have been the first, and it may be the best-known, but it is certainly not the only Irish cream on the liquor store shelf—other brands include Carolan’s, Cremór, Kerrygold, Molly’s, and St. Brendan’s. Give one of these others a try, and you may find you fall in love with Irish cream liqueur all over again.
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As of 2015, Irish Cream is a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and recognized as a unique product of Ireland. Irish Cream may be produced anywhere in Ireland (including the Republic of Ireland and the country of Northern Ireland), and may not be produced anywhere else.
Irish Cream is classified as a liqueur under the rules of the European Union, and as such must have a minimum alcohol by volume of 15% and a minimum of 100 g/L of sugar (approximately equivalent to 10%). Irish cream liqueurs vary in terms of alcohol and sugar, but many are in the range of 17% to 20% alcohol by volume and 20% to 25% sugar.
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In addition to meeting the EU standards for liqueurs, the PGI for Irish Cream requires the following:
- Irish Dairy Cream: Irish Cream liqueur must contain a minimum of 10% milk fat (which does not sound very appealing), all of which must be from cream produced from milk produced in Ireland. Ireland is known for the quality of its dairy products, and many top-bred Irish dairy cows create the “cream” in Irish cream.
- Irish Whiskey: Irish cream is required to contain at least 1% by volume Irish whiskey. The remainder of the alcohol content may be from any type of alcohol of agricultural origin (and in most cases is likely to be neutral spirits).
- Specific Production Techniques: Ireland claims to have created the technique of creating shelf-stable cream liqueurs. Two techniques are allowed for use in the production of Irish Cream. One technique—known as the single-stage method—involves mixing together the spirits, sugar, cream, flavorings and emulsifiers and sending the entire batch through a process of homogenization until the average particle size of the cream globule is reduced to less than 5 microns, preferably less than 2 microns. This will allow the liqueur to remain emulsified. The second method—known as the two-stage method—involves homogenizing the cream (to the same micron-size standard) first and then mixing it into the remainder of the ingredients (sprits, sugars, flavorings, and emulsifiers).
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There are few specifications as to the stabilizers, colorings, emulsifiers, and flavorings that may be used in Irish cream liqueur beyond those typical for food safety, additives, and advertising. While many flavors are produced—Strawberries-and-Cream! Pumpkin spice! Espresso! Salted Caramel! Chocolate-Cherry!—the original Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur is reported to be flavored with Irish whiskey, Irish Cream, and chocolate or cocoa. The formulas are typically considered closely guarded secrets, but other flavors may include a bit of honey, caramel, vanilla, almond, coffee, or cinnamon.
The production requirements and product analysis do not make the delicious and delectable Irish Cream liqueur sound very appealing, so we’ll end with a few tasting notes. For starters, here is the official tasting note for Bailey’s Irish Cream: “the perfect marriage of fresh, premium Irish dairy cream, the finest spirits, aged Irish whiskey, and a unique chocolate blend.” Other often-used descriptions include velvety, creamy, smooth notes of toffee, burnished gold, and honeyed memories of the Emerald Isle. That’s more like it.
References/for more information:
- Technical Standards for the Irish Cream Liqueur PGI
- http://www.baileys.com/en-us/home.html
- https://www.kerrygoldirishcream.com/
- http://www.carolans.ie/int/en/
- https://www.stbrendans.com/
- https://cremorliqueur.com/
- http://www.terra.ie/mollys-irish-cream-liqueur