This is the time of year that your intrepid liquor reporter ends up with a lot of booze and cream in his system. Perhaps it is the cold weather that makes me Irish up my morning coffee with a little Bailey’s, or those many holiday parties with boozy hot chocolates, and chilly lakeside hockey games that need a little pick-me-up from a special thermos.
Regardless of the motivation, there is more to the world of cream-based booze than the constantly popular Bailey’s Irish Cream, who has long dominated this market segment.
For a Canadian version, look no further than Forty Creek Cream Liquor, a whisky distiller in the heart of Ontario’s wine country that your humble narrator has visited on several occasions. Their Cream Liquor first hit the market in 2012, and is made by blending fresh dairy cream with their award-winning whiskies. The taste is not as sweet and cloying as Bailey’s, which makes it easier to enjoy a few glasses over the course of the evening. Bottled at 15% ABV, this is best enjoyed straight over ice, or half-and-half with hot chocolate.
Closer to home, we have Highwood Distillers, who have rebuilt their flood-ravaged facility in High River after the floodageddon of 2013. Their Céili’s Irish Cream is essentially a clone of Bailey’s, but was a full $10 less at my local booze merchant, so help out a local business and pick up a bottle!
Highwood Distillers also produces a cappucino-flavoured version of their cream liqueur, and even sells a pre-boozed eggnog this time of year for the holiday crowds, so try out their pre-made Christmas cheer!
For those who like to do their boozing on an international scale, we have the Amarula Cream Liqueur, made from the fruit of the African Marula tree. This one is particularly hilarious, as elephants love eating the fermented Marula fruits as they fall to the ground, and there is nothing funnier than a staggering herd of drunken elephants.
Purely in the interests of science, your intrepid liquor reporter even tried his hand at a homemade version of Bailey’s this year, and the results were entirely quaffable.
Luckily, your humble narrator always has a few bottles of Irish Whiskey in the cellar for medicinal purposes, so the first ingredient of my homemade Bailey’s knock-off was easy to find.
Begin by pouring 1.5 cups of your favourite Irish Whiskey into your kitchen blender. I used Tullamore Dew, but any Irish Whiskey will do.
Add one cup of 18% heavy cream, the same kind sometimes labelled as coffee cream. If the Safeway doesn’t have heavy cream, use whipping (not whipped) cream instead. Now throw in a can of sweetened condensed milk, and just a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg.
You will need to add two tablespoons of chocolate. I happened to have a baggie of chocolate shavings from Bernard Callebaut that fit the bill perfectly, but you can hillbilly it up by substituting a squirt of Quik chocolate syrup for a lowbrow version.
Treat yourself with a teaspoon of pure vanilla, or use vanilla extract if you already have it in the cupboard. I ventured outside the box here, and poured in 3 ounces of Navan Vanilla Cognac liqueur, which had been sitting in my liquor cabinet waiting for just such an opportunity.
Blend all the ingredients on high speed for 30 seconds, then bottle and chill immediately. Unlike commercial versions that are loaded with preservatives, my homemade version needs to be kept refrigerated at all times. I used a funnel to pour everything into an empty Bailey’s bottle, and ended up with almost exactly 750mL, filling the bottle to the brim.
I performed blind taste tests with several unsuspecting guests at a cocktail party, and each of them preferred my inexpensively made knock-off from the real thing. I suspect the clincher was the vanilla cognac, or possibly the fancy Bernard Callebaut chocolate shavings, both of which I was just lucky enough to have on hand at the time.
The whole process took less than ten minutes, so I may just have to start making my own knock-off version of everyone’s favourite Irish Cream Liqueur on a regular basis. Give it a try at your next dinner party, and amaze your guests with your mastery of the boozy arts!
