Irish cream () is a
cream liqueur based on
Irish whiskey
Irish whiskey ( or ''uisce beatha'') is whiskey made on the island of Ireland. The word 'whiskey' (or whisky) comes from the Irish , meaning ''water of life''. Irish whiskey was once the most popular spirit in the world, though a long period of ...
,
cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...
and other flavourings. It typically has an
alcohol by volume
Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as alc/vol or ABV) is a common measure of the amount of Alcohol (drug), alcohol contained in a given alcoholic beverage. It is defined as the volume the ethanol in the liquid would take if separated from the rest ...
(ABV) level of 15 to 20% and is served on its own or in mixed drinks, most commonly mixed with coffee or in shots such as the
B-52. Its largest markets are the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.
Etymology
Despite its name, it is not a traditional Irish product, as the first version of it,
Baileys, was invented in 1973 by British businessman
Tom Jago in London, in response to a marketing brief from Gilbeys of Ireland (a division of
International Distillers & Vintners). Nevertheless, within the European Union, Irish cream is a
protected geographical indication product that must be produced in
Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
.
Brands
Top brands of Irish cream include
BaileysFive Farms Kerrygold, Merrys,
Carolans,
Saint Brendan's, an
Two Stacks Double Irish Cream Liqueur The largest manufacturer is
Diageo
Diageo plc ( ) is a British Multinational corporation, multinational alcoholic beverage company, with its headquarters in London, England. It is a major distributor of Scotch whisky and other spirits and operates from 132 sites around the world ...
.
Use
Irish cream is served straight,
on the rocks or in
mixed drink
A mixed drink is a Drink, beverage in which two or more ingredients are Drink mixer, mixed.
Types
* List of non-alcoholic mixed drinks—A non-alcoholic mixed drink (also known as virgin cocktail, temperance drink, or mocktail) is a cocktail-sty ...
s, often layered in a shot glass with
Kahlúa and
Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier () is a French brand of liqueurs. The brand's best-known product is Grand Marnier Cordon Rouge, an orange-flavored liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. It is made from a blend of Cognac (brandy), Cognac brandy, ...
to make a B-52 shot or mixed with
coffee
Coffee is a beverage brewed from roasted, ground coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content, but decaffeinated coffee is also commercially a ...
or
hot chocolate
Hot Chocolate are a British soul band formed by Errol Brown and Tony Wilson. The group had at least one hit song every year on the UK Singles Chart from 1970 to 1984.
Their hits include " You Sexy Thing", a UK number two which also made ...
. It is also a common addition to
White Russians. Some use Irish cream to flavour desserts and other sweet treats.
See also
*
Irish coffee, a more traditional Irish whiskey cocktail of similar principle
References
{{Ireland topics
Cream liqueurs
Irish liqueurs
Irish products with protected designation of origin