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Baileys Irish Cream
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Baileys Irish Cream (the registered trade mark omits the apostrophe), is an Irish whiskey- and cream- based liqueur, made by R. J. Bailey & Co. of Dublin, Ireland. It has a declared alcohol content of 17% alcohol by volume (ABV).
Baileys was created by a team of people from IDV (International Distillers and Vintners) and a new product development company called I&D. The main people behind Baileys (Tom Jago and David Gluckman) have since gone on to create a host of other drinks and products including the highly successful 2004 launch of Jago's Cream Liqueur. Baileys was formulated and taste-tested to ensure it appealed to the American taste. Bailey's is produced from Irish whiskey, cream and coffee flavoring, it has an enticing almond,hazelnut/nutmeg aroma and a rich, smooth, sweet taste.
Baileys, as it is often known, was launched on November 26, 1974, and claims to be the first of the cream liqueurs. There is much disagreement about this claim, but the drink has prompted several imitations. As of 2003, it is the highest-selling liqueur brand in the world.
In 2003, Bailey & Co. launched Baileys Glide, a less cloying, longer drink with 4.0% ABV, aimed at the alcopop market.
In 2004, a Bailey's commercial featuring a cover of the 1970s Minnie Riperton song Les Fleur was aired on TV.
In 2005, Bailey's launched a mint chocolate variant of their Irish Cream, with the same 17% alcohol content as the original.
In 2006, Bailey's launched a creme caramel flavoured variant.
Urban legend
During the eighties an urban legend took hold amongst students in the Netherlands and Belgium that the combination of Baileys and tonic was deadly. The two substances were supposed to solidify into a dense mass and clog up the entire bowel system. The ensuing constipation would entail certain death. But as it goes with urban legends, this rumour is heavily exaggerated.
Baileys is a liqueur made with cream. As is the case with milk, cream will curdle whenever it comes into contact with a weak acid. Milk and cream contain casein which coagulates when mixed with weak acids. This is why it is not advisable to mix the drink with Lime cordial. Tonic, like every carbonated drink, is a weak acid and will clot the casein (it is this same process that makes Baileys the key ingredient in the "joke shot" known as a Cement Mixer). A Cement Mixer is an alcoholic drink usually made with lemon juice and Baileys Irish Cream, but can also be made with other acidic alcohols in place of the lemon juice. One takes a shot of lemon juice first and holds it in their cheek then they take a shot of Baileys Irish Cream and mix it in their mouth. The acidity of the lemon juice curdles the Irish Cream then they swallow the mixture. However, the gelatinous pudding that emerges from their union is of course far from lethal -- if it were, drinkers of straight milk or cream would be endangered, as coagulation is in any case a natural consequence of the acidic environment of the digestive system.
The efforts of Baileys to unseat this myth have been rather fruitless. Today many students still know the story and believe it to be true.
Famous cocktails
B-52, E.T, Orgasm, Irish dream, Chocolate Coffee Kiss, Baileys Frappe
For an article in Dutch on the matter, visit , the Technical University of Delft.
References
Adams Beverage Group, Beverage Dynamics (January/February 2006), p.42
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Offtopic: Bailey's
