Irish cream isn’t exactly a traditional Irish product, but it was created there. A liqueur based on Irish whiskey and cream, its first incarnation was Baileys, invented in 1973, when Jamesons, single cream, and Cadbury’s Powdered Drinking Chocolate were combined at Dublin’s International Distillers & Vintners’ office. In The Irish Pub Cookbook, Margaret Johnson says that the combination of Ireland’s two points of pride – dairy and whiskey – is based on a “west of Ireland tradition of stirring fresh cream into Irish whiskey for sipping.”
Irish cream is a Protected Geographical Indictor (PGI) product that must be produced in Ireland – for example, Baileys sources its cream from Co. Cavan. Diageo, the owner of Baileys, reached one billion bottles sold in 2007 – and the biggest markets today are the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and Germany. Other top producers are Saint Brendan’s and Carolans, with newcomers such as Five Farms and Coole Swans taking a craft, “farm-to-bottle” approach.
After seeing stagnant growth for a few years, with the exception of predictable spikes during the holidays, business was booming for Baileys in 2021 (prior to that, Irish cream sales in Ireland’s off-trade grew 26.5% in 2020), as it was for other cream liqueur companies. Mariah Carey took that opportunity to launch three flavors of her Black Irish last year, albeit with trademark issues. This could be due to increased drink-mixing at home, or the sheer amount of people reaching for something considered indulgent and comforting during uncertain times.
Irish cream is most often seen in Irish Coffee, a hot drink made of coffee, whiskey, and topped with cold cream. Otherwise, it is usually served on the rocks. “Irish cream” can also be found all over the United States’ food sector, from Dunkin Donuts “Irish Creme” flavored coffee to Häagen-Dazs’ Irish Cream Brownie, and Ben & Jerry’s Dublin Mudslide (RIP). Many Irish American desserts, either served at pubs or on St. Patrick’s Day, use Irish cream (usually Baileys) as a base, often in the form of cheesecake or ice cream dishes.
Irish cream has a significant shelf life (24 months), so one bottle may last quite a long time. Homemade Irish cream won’t last as long.
Homemade Irish Cream Recipe
INGREDIENTS
1 ½ cups whiskey (you can see my brand loyalty above)
1 ½ cups heavy or double cream
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2-3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1-2 teaspoons instant coffee
optional: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
METHOD
1. Either mix or blend all ingredients on low or mix or blend all ingredients sans whiskey on high and stir in whiskey afterwards. Chill and keep covered in fridge for up to two weeks.
Vegan Irish Cream Recipe
INGREDIENTS
⅓ cup/80ml whiskey
1 can (14oz/400ml) full fat coconut milk
¼ cup liquid sweetener (such as maple or agave syrup)
¼ cup/60ml espresso or strong coffee
optional: 1 teaspoon cocoa powder or vanilla extract
METHOD
1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
cleite agus cnámh 