Coffee and Baileyโs Irish Cream go together like peas and carrots, no two ways about it. Theyโre like bread and butter, like pb and j, like wine and cheese or chocolate or more wine even. They are two great tastes that taste great together. So when Baileyโs announced earlier this week they would be releasing a canned coffee product, itโs an easy home run, right? Wrong. Like Heddo at the end of Rookie of Year, when the young and normal-armed Henry Rowengartner lobs up one last meatball, Baileyโs completely whiffs. Thereโs no alcohol in this drink.
Yep, Baileyโs, a company that trades exclusively in flavored liqueur sector, has decided to expand their portfolio and start making ready-to-drink cold brew cans. Non-alcoholic ones. According to a recent article in Yahoo, the 11-ounce 100% Arabica beverage will come in two flavors, salted caramel and Irish cream, and will be available for purchase in-store and on Amazon. And thatโs great, but why though?
I’ve got nothing but love for Baileyโs; a not-insignificant portion of my Freshman 15 is due to a late-night pre-game pick me up of Baileyโs and coffee. But this right here, this is a โstay in your laneโ situation. If I wanted a can of cold brewโwhich frankly is rare but has been known to happenโwhy would I pick one up made by a non-coffee company? I donโt look to Anne Lunell every time I want a creamy liqueur (though Klaus Thomsen has some coffee liqueur experience that may come in handy).
Now you may be saying, โbut Zac, just pour Baileyโs in it yourself. Problem solved!โ Problem NOT solved, theoretical person whoโs only trying to help. If Iโm going to have to do all the heavy lifting and play shitty dorm room mixologist, Iโm not going to use Baileyโs cold brew. What, am I going to mix Baileyโs Irish Cream with Baileyโs Irish Cream cold brew? Sure, let me just put this hat on this other hat real quick. No, Iโm going to grab a regular, unflavored cold brewโmaybe a Stumptown stubby, maybe some Verve flash brew, or maybe even that cannabis-infused Ritual cold brew if Iโm feeling like getting wild.
What I wonโt be grabbing, and you can put this on my tombstone, is a non-alcoholic Baileyโs cold brew. Buuuuuuut if you were to throw a little cold brew whiskey in there, maybe Iโd be back in.
Zac Cadwaladerย is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas.ย Read more Zac Cadwaladerย on Sprudge.
