Baileys facts: 10 FASCINATING things you didn't know about the Irish liqueur (2024)

Here are 10 fascinating facts you probably didn’t know about Baileys Irish liqueur.

When it comes to drinks, there are few more Irish than Baileys—except for the obvious Guinness. Invented by Tom Lago of Gilbeys of Ireland in 1973, the liquor has quickly conquered the world and accounts for more than 50 percent of all spirits exports from Ireland today.

But what’s in the bottle, where does it come from, and did it make its creator a billionaire? Find out in our round-up of ten fascinating Baileys facts below.

Ireland Before You Die’s overview of facts about Baileys

• It isn’t only at home in Ireland where Baileys is popular. It is very well-regarded across the world! Indeed, Baileys is consumed in around 130 different countries from around the world.
• Want to know how long you can keep the drink for before it goes bad? It is said Baileys has a shelf life of about 2 years, so make sure to get it drank before then!
• As you can imagine, Baileys today is worth billions. However, believe it or not, its main inventor made only … 3,500 euros! However, he did work at the company for three decades after.
• Baileys is a true Irish drink. 50% of the drink is made of cream, with 100% of that cream coming directly from Irish cows.
• There is no doubt there are more sophisticated ways of creating the drink from scratch today. However, the very first Baileys was made using a kitchen blender.

10. Baileys was named after a restaurant in London

While Baileys is clearly branded as Irishtoday, back in the day, the company thought a name relating to both Britain andIreland would be a better boost for overseas sales.

David Gluckman, the leading technicalinventor in the team who also helped create the Kerrygold butter in the early1960s, came up with the signature name when he stumbled upon a restaurant in Londoncalled “Bailey’s Bistro.”

9. The first Baileys was mixed in a kitchen blender

It all started with an ordinary kitchenmixer! According to the official Baileys facts, the original drink was madeusing a Kenwood mixer. You probably have one at home, too, so should youabsolutely crave a Baileys and all the shops are closed, put whiskey, cream,chocolate, and vanilla in the blender and try your luck.

8. Baileys’ secret is chocolate

David Gluckman claims in his tell-all “it will sell!” that he found the original mix of cream and whiskey “bloody awful.” However, instead of giving up on it, he and his colleague Hugh Seymour-Davies added some sugar and Cadbury’s Powdered Drinking Chocolate, and it took them roughly 45 minutes to find the perfect formula.

While the recipe was slightly tweaked before Baileys hit the shelves, the chocolate remained.

RELATED: See where a Baileys cheesecake ranks on Ireland Before You Die’s list of the top 5 best Irish desserts, RANKED in order of GREATNESS

7. All the cream comes from Irish cows

Baileys contains 50% cream, and it’s 100% Irish. Each year, more than 220 million litres of fresh milk are used to make the popular liquor, coming from Irish dairy cows mainly living on the east coast of Ireland.

The cows are jokingly referred to as the“Baileys ladies,” and the company claims they spend 300 days a year outside andeven get to listen to their favourite playlists (we would definitely beinterested in hearing those songs!).

6. Men called Baileys a “girl’s drink”

The first rounds of testing did not gotoo well for Baileys. In a group of all-male testers, one guy called the liquora “girl’s drink” and left the others with little choice than to nod along.After all, they didn’t want to admit that they liked a drink that mightquestion their masculinity (they still finished their glasses though!).

The female testing round was little more encouraging, with one woman suggesting Baileys tasted like Kaolin & Horphone, a well-known medicine for diarrhoea. Today, however, the liquor is equally popular with men and women.

5. Its inventor only made 3,500 euros

The Baileys brand is worth billions, butit* main inventor only made peanuts in comparison. “We were paid about 3.000 sterlingall-in for the development”, Gluckman confessed in an interview.

At least, it granted him job security forlife: He worked at the company for another 30 years.

4. Baileys is a hit among millennials

Some sceptics still call it an “old people’s drink,” but official Baileys facts and surveys show that more than 60 percent of all consumers are actually under 35 years old.

The younger the fan, the more they love to experiment with the liquor. Baileys co*cktails, cupcakes, and ice cream rank among the favourites.

RELATED: For more on Irish drinks, have a read of IB4UD’s article on the top 10 best Irish alcoholic drinks ever

3. The liqueur has a two-year shelf life

While our supply usually doesn’t last as long (and yours probably won’t either), in theory, you could keep your Baileys for up to two years, with the company guaranteeing it won’t lose its taste. And that even applies to opened bottles!

Keep the Baileys away from directsunlight and store it at a temperature of 0-25 degrees centigrade. Afteropening it, it needs to go into the fridge (or your glass).

2. There’s a vegan Baileys too

Thanks to its heavy cream-using, Baileys had been a strict no-go for vegans for over 40 years. However, times are changing and with more and more people going on an animal-free diet, Baileys introduced a vegan version of its signature drink in 2017.

Baileys Almande is made of sweet almondoil and almond essence, cane sugar, purified water and real vanilla – and it’sjust as tasty as the dairy-version.

1. People around the world drink Baileys – a lot

Baileys is officially the most popular liqueur worldwide these days. Sold in 160 countries around the globe (basically every country where alcohol is legal), it is so popular that 2,300 glasses are consumed every single minute! So, no matter what time of the day you take a sip, you can be sure to be in great company.

READ MORE: Bailey’s popularity with Irish people is partly why people always say to Irish people abroad that we love to drink!

Your questions answered about Baileys facts

You may still have some questions, but that’s okay – here, we have you covered! In this section, we have compiled the most frequently asked questions about Baileys facts from our readers and online.

What is a fun fact about Baileys Irish Cream?

A top fun fact about Baileys Irish cream is that it is enjoyed in 130 countries worldwide, with an astonishing 2,300 glasses consumed every minute.

Why is Baileys called Baileys?

Baileys is called Baileys as it is named after a restaurant in London which was called “Baileys Bistro”.

What are the different types of flavours of Baileys?

These would include; Original Irish Cream, Chocolate Luxe, Orange Truffle, Salted Caramel, and Tiramisu co*cktail. There are of course many more.

Is it OK to drink Baileys straight?

Yes! Indeed, one of the best ways to drink Baileys is straight with ice.

NEXT: Read about how Bailey’s has recently secured a massive £26 million expansion in Mallusk, Country Antrim!