At Christmas I do find myself being in the festive spirit and I find that with this comes lots of food and drink! Now I am a sensible drinker, I never go out to get legless I am more than happy having a few drinks and leave with my mind in tact! One drink I love at Christmas and which also helps me feel even more festive is Baileys. I find that over plenty of ice it is a really nice drink (even better in a cocktail!). I do however prefer the original Baileys and although I have tried the other flavours nothing for me can quite compare to the original.

== Baileys ==

I think we all know what Baileys is whether you drink it or not. The liqueur which comes in that unmistaken dark brown/black bottle with the pale coloured swirls of the liquid inside. It is the world's no1 best selling liqueur which is drunk throughout the globe making it one of Ireland's best products considering it is all exported from the Emerald Isle.

Baileys is of course an Irish brand no mistaking that! They use the best quality Irish dairy cream which of course only comes from "pasture fed" cows in Ireland. Irish whiskey is of course used and sourced in Ireland, it is the whiskey which preserves the cream making it last for 2 years in the bottle. According to Baileys Irish cows are the happiest around as being outside for majority of the year on good pastures and of course Irish Whiskey was first given licence to be distilled in Ireland so why not keep all the raw ingredients truly Irish.

What else makes Baileys special? Baileys use sugar from Irish sugar cane and sugar beet (again keeping the Irish trait) and they use cocoa extract which gives helps give Baileys its unique taste and character. Baileys blend their liqueur in a 100% natural process which of course is what helps give that truly unique flavour that Baileys has regardless of which flavour you opt for.

"Baileys is a natural marriage of fresh Irish cream, Irish whiskey and the finest of spirits."

== Packaging ==

There is no mistaking the black glass Bailey's bottle with its slim neck and rounded, almost globe style base. Other brands have tried to emulate this bottle but they don't really come close. The front label features the Baileys' logo together with the image of Baileys liquid in a swirled type design. On the back there is of course information about the drink, ingredients list and of course the usual warnings about drinking as well as contact information for Baileys if you should feel the need to get in touch.

== The Drink ==

Baileys is classed as a liqueur and as stated above it is made from Irish cream, Irish whiskey and other fine spirits which create such a lovely drink. You can serve it in a cold drink or in hot making it quite versatile. Ideal as an Irish Coffee on a cold winters day or my personal favourite is poured straight over plenty of ice in a short glass (a decent sized measure.

The liqueur itself is a lovely pale coffee coloured liquid which is slightly marbled by the cream which is nice, it does look exactly like the colour of a milky latte except you don't get the coffee aroma instead you get a lovely soft, creamy whiskey hue which has very subtle and delicate hints of cocoa which round off the whiskey notes perfectly. It certainly has a lovely creaminess about it with adds a bit of luxury.

To drink (which is obviously the best part!) regardless of how you have it (in a hot drink or served cold) you get a lovely warmth from it due to the whiskey which is certainly not over powering but you can definitely tell it is there. It is however, rounded off nicely by the cream and makes it incredibly easy to drink with a little warmth as an after taste it is incredibly pleasant whichever way you choose to drink it.

I myself don't mind how I drink Baileys and will gladly drink it in a cocktail, coffee or just over ice. I do however, like the ice to melt a little before I drink Baileys and to make sure it is ice cold when I drink it as although it ever so slightly dilutes the liqueur I find it far more enjoyable to drink it this way although as long as it is chilled (if I don't have ice) I can easily drink it this way too! I like the warmth the whiskey leaves behind even from an ice cold drink.

== Recipe ==

Taken from the Baileys website I have tried and tested it on more than a few occasions and find it really is quite a moreish drink!

A Baileys Martini

Ice
10ml of Smirnoff Vodka
50ml of Baileys Irish Cream
15ml of chocolate liqueur


Method:

Drop several ice cubes into a shaker
Pour in the Baileys, Smirnoff Vodka chocolate liqueur
Shake together
Strain drink into a chilled cocktail glass and top with a crumbled flake

== Useful Info ==

Baileys has a shelf life of 2 years from when you open the bottle whether you store it in the fridge or in your cupboard. This is a Baileys guarantee. And why does it do this? Whiskey acts as a natural preservative for the cream and therefore can off this substantial guarantee. Although I've never managed to make a bottle last two years!!

ABV: 17%

Price: From £16.00 but look out for offers
Availability: Supermarkets, off licences