Bailey’s Irish Iced Coffee

Last Christmas, my friend Anita introduced me to Bailey’s Original Irish Cream.  I’d never tried it before because I’m not one for sweet or sugary cocktails, I’ll take a glass of dry red wine over a frilly martini any day. Even so, around the holidays, we’re all a little uninhibited when it comes to trying new things and I obliged her a cocktail that she had made with vanilla vodka, Bailey’s Original Irish Cream and ice cubes made from freshly brewed coffee. After all, spending the holidays with friends means exposure to new family traditions and who am I not to participate in Christmas spirit?

(That is, I am talking about actual Christmas spirits here)

So, I did the polite thing to do, I tried it and well, holy hell.

I love coffee and this super creamy, spiked java concoction was so delicious it put my daily morning cup to shame.

Granted, there are a lot of good reasons why I shouldn’t replace my morning cup of coffee with a splash of 2% milk for this sinfully creamy cocktail version of coffee, but it wouldn’t be fun to dwell on that fact before we talk about your new favorite holiday beverage.

Bailey’s is made with premium Irish dairy cream, fine spirits, aged Irish whiskey and a unique chocolate blend. I always thought that Bailey’s contained coffee, but it’s just a delightful pairing. It’s super easy to make coffee ice cubes, especially if you’re an iced coffee drinker and you want to keep your morning cup from becoming watered down.

You could probably make a hot version of this drink, seeing as winter is unabashedly upon us, but I think the icy and creamy combination works and also feels more like dessert than a hot drink would.

Because yes, dessert. Let’s not fool ourselves into thinking this is anything but.