On the tenth day of St. Patrick, my true love gave to me 10 creamy Baileys, 9 Black & Tans, 8 Beamish stouts, 7 Jamesons, 6 Honeyed Meads, 5 Guinness pints, 4 Harp lagers, 3 Magners Ciders, 2 shots of Paddy, and a pint of Kilkenny...As our celebration of great Irish beverages comes near its end on the glorious feast of St. Paddy’s day, we need to celebrate that one Irish beverage that everybody knows about and loves, but belongs in its own category altogether – Bailey’s Irish Cream.
I must admit that when I was younger I didn’t believe that Bailey’s was actually Irish. It seemed to be the creation of a great marketing company bent on selling something that is pretty untraditional to the unwashed masses. I was shocked when I learned that Bailey’s is not only Irish, but it actually uses fresh dairy produced exclusively by a few producers in Ireland. Regardless of where it is produced, Bailey’s plays an important role in the world of creamy alcoholic beverages that is only shared by a few others such as Kahlua and Amarula.
I like Baileys. As a young man developing my palate, Baileys was instantly approachable and allowed me a great drink option that didn’t burn (and let’s face it – if whiskey and brandy doesn’t burn the first time you try it – you’ve probably got some dangerous genes in you). That’s the twisted beauty of Baileys – not only is it approachable, but it goes down smoothly and hits fairly hard with a severely nasty hangover. Playing with whiskey is risky; playing with beer can get you in trouble, but Baileys can be your friend until it is too late – and that’s probably why it does so well with the young crowd.
Nowadays, I tend to only enjoy cream beverages once or twice a year with the exception of an Irish coffee (black coffee with Baileys) every once in a while. This is probably where Bailey’s is at its best – its smooth creaminess offsets the bitter ebony of a warm cup of coffee brilliantly after a nice satisfying dinner while setting the stage for a night of fine drinks.
Although few people think of true Irish men going to the pub and drinking shots of Baileys while listening to traditional Irish fiddle music – it is purely Irish and should be celebrated along with all of the other great styles of Irish libations that we have praised thus far!
Slainte!
