'We compared Baileys to supermarket own versions - and there's a clear winner'

09 December 2023 , 11:36

622 0

Baileys is really popular over Christmas (Image: Manchester Family/MEN)

Baileys Irish Cream is a staple at any Christmas gathering, but with most supermarkets selling their own version, which comes out top?

Whether you like to sit back after a big Christmas meal and sip a chilled glass of Baileys, or you prefer having a glug in your coffee to make it extra decadent, there's no denying that the creamy liqueur oozes Christmas. However, as the cost of living crisis continues to make its mark in households, many are having to think of new, innovative ways of saving money - while trying to have a nice celebration.

The original Baileys is produced for Gilbeys of Ireland and owned by Diageo, but most supermarkets also have their own versions of Irish cream liqueur. In a bid to find out whether they can measure up to the original thing, Manchester Evening News parents editor Emma Gill has put them up against each other.

'We compared Baileys to supermarket own versions - and there's a clear winner' qhiqhhiddkieeinv

Emma decided to test the supermarket own verisons (Manchester Family/MEN)

While not a natural fan of the creamy liquor, her partner's love for it for the past two decades has somewhat rubbed off on her. She explains her partner loves it so much that he "guzzles it down like a milkshake" - and he tends to get a bottle of the original Irish brand for his "conveniently timed December birthday".

Luckily, at the moment you can get a litre bottle of the stuff at Sainsbury's for just £10 with a Nectar card until December 6, and at Tesco until December 11 with a Clubcard - so either way you don't have to be forking out a fortune right now. But when it's not on offer the original version can be quite costly.

'I stopped drinking booze on dates and it made life much more exciting'

So Emma decided to check out the supermarket's own versions to see if it could compare to her partner's favourite Christmas tipple. According to Emma, there's only one brand that could stand up to the iconic original version. Read her review below.

I was never that keen on Baileys, but when you've spent more than two decades with someone obsessing over the stuff it kind of rubs off. It took a while mind. It's only the last couple of years that I've taken to it as a festive tipple. That's if there's any left with the way he guzzles it down like a milkshake or splashes it into a coffee.

So we thought it would be worth checking out supermarkets' own versions of the drink to see how they fare. Size-wise, you're getting a smaller 700ml bottle from Sainsbury's, Aldi and M&S. Whereas Lidl and Morrisons have the full one-litre bottles.

They're all the same 17% volume as Baileys too, except for Aldi's Ballycastle, which is 12%. It doesn't do it any harm though and it's got a really nice flavour to it. It doesn't actually say what booze is in it, other than 'a blend of double cream and alcohol with chocolate and vanilla flavouring', but we certainly wouldn't turn it down for £4.99 a bottle.

If you much prefer a stronger taste of alcohol then I'd go for Lidl's - a thinner and darker cream, but you could really taste the 'fine spirits and fine Irish whiskey' it says is blended with the Irish dairy cream.

We both felt the M&S one, which was also slightly darker, left a bit of a cheap aftertaste, whereas the Sainsbury's one was much more palatable.

'We compared Baileys to supermarket own versions - and there's a clear winner'

There was a clear winner (Manchester Family/MEN)

Morrisons The Best Irish Cream came out top (Manchester Family/MEN)

But there was one that really did compete with the big brand and that was Morrisons The Best. You can taste the alcohol, but it's not overpowering. It's rich, it's creamy and it's full of flavour.

At £13 a bottle it's not that cheap, but you can get two bottles for £22 so that makes it slightly better if you're buying a couple for presents, or want to stock up yourself. When the real deal Baileys can cost upwards of £20 a bottle without the promotions, I know which one I'd be buying.