Men can drink it too! (Baileys Irish Cream)

Member Name: i_am_joy

Product:	Baileys Irish Cream
Date:	15/02/09 (101 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Tastes delicious, warming, versatile

Disadvantages: Can give you tummy ache after a while as it's such a rich drink

On Valentines Day I always raise a glass of Baileys to my late husband, it's not a drink I have often but Baileys was his favourite secret drink and on Valentines Day we'd always share a bottle with a special meal. It was his secret drink ever since his workmate found him sipping a glass in the pub and ribbed him for being a 'great poof', after all my husband was a 16 stone trucker at the time and his usual tipple with his mates was a pint of Bitter. No offence is intended by the above comment, indeed I don't think any will be taken, but that was the attitude towards Baileys in the early 80's in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

You see, despite the fact that anyone and everyone drinks Baileys now years ago it was definitely a woman's drink and men would quake in their boots at the very thought of even ordering their wife a 'Baileys on the rocks' (as we used to ask) in case someone bigger than them overheard and smacked them down for even uttering the word from beneath a moustache.

It's such a heavy, thick drink that I struggle now to drink more than two small glasses even though it's extremely tasty and much nicer than most spirits I've had in the past. Baileys is rich and creamy, made from Irish Whiskey and copious amounts of fresh dairy cream. I can taste both the whiskey and the cream independently in my drink, even though I'm not a big fan of whiskey I love the warming feel of it as I swallow and the smoothness of the cream makes it slip down my throat in a more decadent way that say a glass of Malibu or Pernod, both of which I enjoy.

I find Baileys has a wonderful unusual taste, completely unlike the cheaper bottles of Irish Cream Liqueurs available such as Irish Meadow. It's fairly sweet as you're drinking but this sugariness is underlined by a rich whiskey flavour which give the semi-harsh, semi-bitter taste which goes so beautifully with the creaminess of the drink.

There is a distinct coffee flavour to the Original Baileys which is why this drink also goes very well in a hot coffee or even hot chocolate, simply pour in a measure instead of milk (obviously as well as milk for the hot choc) and you'll have a very warming and extremely tasty beverage. This way you can still taste the beautiful flavour of the Baileys but it's been muted by the hot drink and this feels very satisfying on a cold wintry night.

Baileys is not the best drink if you're trying to lose weight, with a standard 37ml glass containing 129 calories. My daughter drinks this by the bottle and despite not suffering from hangovers she always feels sick and delicate after drinking this to excess, which I put down to the heaviness of the drink rather than the alcohol content.

Baileys has a strength of 17%, which is much higher than lager and most standard wines. The flavour doesn't rely the fact that this is such a strong alcoholic drink though which is probably why some people get drunk very quickly on Baileys, they drink it back like milkshake and then wonder why they fall over on the way to the toilet!

Baileys is a wonderful flavoured drink which is so warming thanks to the Irish whiskey, it's versatile and can be used to create myriad cocktails and dessert recipes. The makers have recently introduced two new flavours, Mint and Caramel, both of which I've tasted and enjoyed. Personally I'm just waiting for them to bring out an Orange Baileys and then I may forget my semi-teetotalness and become a later life alcoholic!

Often to be found on special offer, Baileys usually retails at around £12 for a standard size bottle and up to £16 for the litre size. This may sound expensive considering the wide selection of cheaper Cream Liqueurs available, but while the other varieties are tasty enough they really cannot compare to Baileys in either taste or consistency.

Summary: Baileys - the drink both women and men can enjoy!