It’s that time of year when we start to think of mistletoe, holly and Christmas trees, but what could be more quintessentially thought of as a Christmas drink than cream liqueurs? The shop shelves are awash with Baileys Irish Cream, however, good Baileys is, and it is very good, there are some other alternatives which are just as good if not better.
Cream liqueurs don’t have to be just Irish Cream. They can be made with other spirits than Irish whiskey too. Any whisky, be it Scotch or even English can be used. Rum can also be used. In fact, pretty much any good spirit used delicately can make a cream liqueur and even some that don’t even use dairy! To kick off the Christmas spirit I’ve found a few cream liqueurs which any drinks cupboard would be happy to house, the issue being that most cream liqueurs don’t hang around that long, which begs the question of why we don’t drink them all year round!
Cotswolds Cream Liqueur
Kicking off we have an English Cream Liqueur from one of the best distilleries in the country. This is made from new make from the Cotswolds distillery, which is the same spirit they are using to make their now famous whisky. All made with barley grown in the local area, it has a little fruity edge from the new make and is excellent over ice cream, but like most cream liqueurs is brilliant just by itself.
ABV: 17%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £25.95
Bumbu Cream Liqueur
Bumbu make a fabulous, spiced rum, and they also make this wonderful cream liqueur using rum from the Caribbean, a selection of spices and real dairy cream. It’s great to drink neat or over ice, but it mixes very well in cocktails. I’ve added a touch to an espresso martini to give it a creamy texture and smoothness and it works very well.
ABV: 15%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £29 // US $36.99
Coole Swan
An Irish cream liqueur made from Irish single malt whiskey, fresh Irish cream, and decadent Belgian white chocolate. This is one of the most velvety cream liqueurs I have experienced. It is also one of the sweetest, so if you have a sweet tooth, then this one is for you. It’s not cloying however and has a lovely balance leaving you wanting more. It’s good by itself, but is much better chilled, leaving the flavours to develop as the liquid warms on your palate.
ABV: 15%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £24.94 // US $29.99
Aldi Specially Selected Luxury Edition Irish Cream Liqueur
I recently did a taste test with a few of the biggest brands of Irish Cream, and it was very difficult to separate this one from the very best and well known in terms of quality. It is a little darker than most, but also a touch richer on the chocolate. It makes a nice change if you’re looking to have more than one cream liqueur. One thing which really does separate it from the rest of the pack is the price. It’s an absolute bargain!
ABV: 17%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £7.99
Amarula Cream
This is a very fruity cream liqueur with lots of caramel. It is made from the distilled fruit of the Marula tree in South Africa and it wins awards, with good reason. Beyond the cream liqueur there is the Amarula Trust which raises funds for conservation which protects the wildlife, especially the protection of elephants, and also funds educational projects.
ABV: 17%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £14.36 // US $23.99
Edradour Whisky Cream Liqueur
This is a Scotch whisky cream liqueur made with single malt whisky from the Edradour distillery. One of Scotland's smallest traditional distilleries. It is a cut above the rest of the regular cream liqueurs, yet remains great value for money at well under £20. A great bang for your buck.
ABV: 17%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £17.94
Kyrö Dairy Cream Liqueur
Hailing from Finland, this is made with local milk and cream and uses rye whiskey from the Kyrö distillery. Yet even though it is using local milk and cream it is lactose free! It is vanilla forward in flavour with a little nuttiness in the background and goes extremely well with coffee.
ABV: 16%
Size: 500ml
Find here: £21.95
Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur
This is an Irish cream liqueur from County Cork made with single batches of fresh cream and blended with triple distilled Irish whiskey all within 48 hours of the ingredients being collected. The name comes from the source of the ingredients which come from five family-owned farms in the area. A brilliant one to sip on its own and if you want to see more about how it is made, why not check out episode 3 of The Three Drinkers in Ireland?
ABV: 17%
Size: UK 700ml // US 750ml
Find here: UK £27.09 // US $34.99
Tequila Black 38 Chocolate Cream
This is an exciting cream liqueur made from liqueur from Destilerías Espronceda. There is a freshness which is produced by tequila which balances perfectly with decadent chocolate flavours. If you’d like something a little unusual and you love Tequila, then is a winner for you.
ABV: 17%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £21.95
Original Magnum Cream Liqueur
Created by blending single malt whisky from the BenRiach distillery and Dutch cream, this is a very decadent cream liqueur. It is rich and chocolatey and is very good in coffee, poured over ice or ice-cream! And we’re digging the milk churn bottle shape here at The Three Drinks HQ.
ABV: 17%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £24.95
Baileys in Magnum
One can’t have an article on the best Cream Liqueurs without having Baileys on the list. It’s best-selling for a reason. The original cream liqueur was created by Tom Jago after many trials. The only thing better than a bottle of Bailey’s is a Magnum of Bailey’s!
ABV: 17%
Size: UK 1.5l // US750ml
Find here: UK £32.49 // US $26.99
Adriatico Amaretto Bianco
Lastly, we have an unusual alternative to a cream liqueur. It behaves like a cream liqueur but being made from crushed white almonds, it has a certain creaminess without having any dairy in it at all. With vanilla, cherries and sugared almond flavours, this is great for cocktails. If you have a dairy intolerance, or even if you don’t, this is delicious, and you won’t feel left out of the cream liqueur experience.
ABV: 16%
Size: 700ml
Find here: £28.74
Any of the above are rich and creamy and deserving of any festive celebration. If you’re looking for other Christmas suggestions and excitements why not have a look at The Best Tequila to Gift This Christmas or The Best Boxed Wine for Christmas?
Words by Colin Hampden-White