I compared Baileys with Aldi and other supermarkets and found better Irish creams
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Sipping creamy Baileys Irish Cream while watching the King’s speech or Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Day special feels like a festive treat. Yet there are many Baileys alternatives to choose from that are sometimes cheaper, often aimed at chocolate or coffee lovers and even one catering for vegans with a non-dairy version that’s the “world’s first oat milk-based cocktail”, reviewed below.
I put several choices to the test ranging from Aldi and Amazon to Asda and Sainsbury’s and was surprised at how many strong contenders there are to Baileys. There are many I even thought were better in taste or value for money.
If you are a hardcore Baileys fan, then the best deal at the moment is on Amazon where a 70cl bottle is half price at £8 instead of £16.59 here. It’s a mainstream favourite and I can see why with its gentle balance of flavours.
Bailey’s Irish Cream: Regular price £20 - on offer for £8 at Amazon here
Aldi’s Specially Selected: Irish Cream, Billionaire’s version or Espresso Chocolate - all £7.99 now
Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur: Usually £30 but new Sainsbury’s deal - Nectar card holders can get it for £20.
Mozart Chocolate Cream Liqueurs: Price dropped from £19 - White Chocolate Cream now £13.45 at Amazon here Belgian Chocolate Mozart Liqueur is reduced down to £13.80
Disaronno Velvet Liqueur: Limited-time deals at Sainsburys and Asda - £10 with a Nectar card here or £13 at Asda here.
Panther M*lk Crema is a vegan-friendly oatmilk-based liqueur - £20 on Amazon here.
Keeping up with competitors, Baileys has expanded into various flavours and the Salted Caramel Baileys is also half price at Amazon, down from £20 to £10 here. There’s less of a deal on Bailey’s Chocolate option, which is normally £20 but £16.50 in this deal here.
Aldi is one of the biggest rivals to Baileys in terms of price as I found its Irish Cream liqueurs tasted as good but were far cheaper. The budget supermarket’s Specially Selected Irish Creams are £7.99 and really worth a punt on price and flavour and come in attractive gold bottles that would make distinctive Christmas presents.
Aldi’s Specially Selected range this year has a Billionaire’s Irish Cream that is currently £7.99. It is based on Billionaire’s shortbread with a sweet, creamy and chocolatey taste that is ideal in small doses like a shot.
There’s also an Espresso Chocolate Irish Cream option from Aldi for a more intense mix of coffee and chocolate flavours that is also on offer for £7.99. You can see more on Aldi’s Irish Cream and its Specialbuys at the Aldi website here.
My favourite in terms of creaminess and flavour is Five Farms Irish Cream Liqueur. This single batch drink is made in County Cork, Ireland, using triple-distilled Irish Whiskey and fresh dairy cream from five family-owned farms. It even comes in a beautifully presented old-fashioned style milk bottle.
In terms of taste, it passes the lick your lips test on flavour and I couldn’t wait to dive in for another glass. It screams quality and is something extra special that has a deal on at the moment making it the same price as Baileys’ standard price.
Five Farms Irish Cream is sold at Sainsbury’s for £30, although Nectar card holders can get it for £20.
Chocolate company Mozart has brought out Bailey’s rivals with White Chocolate and a Belgian Chocolate Sahnelikor Cream Liqueur options. They both come in fun bottles that shimmer and look like larger versions of the famous Mozart chocolate balls.
These are ones for chocoholics as it is like drinking liquid chocolate. There’s a deal cutting the price of Mozart’s White Chocolate Cream Liqueur down to £13.45 at Amazon here.
While the Belgian Chocolate Mozart version is also reduced down to £13.80 in a limited-time deal. Among the best prices for this include Master of Malt also with a deal on this Gold wrapped Chocolate Mozart Liqueur for £17.95 here.
Among the most exciting on the market is a creamy option from Disaronno. Most people know of its regular distinctive, sweet bottle that is soothing on its own over ice or mixed in a coffee.
But there’s also a creamier Disaronno Velvet Liqueur in an attractive white bottle that has a similar look to Baileys but with the extra almond taste of Disaronno. It also gives a nice warming kick from the Italian liqueur afterwards and is a refreshing alternative to Baileys.
Deals offering the best discounts include at Sainsbury’s, where Nectar Card holders can get a bottle for £10 here. Asda has slashed the price of Disaronno Velvet Liqueur down from £15 to £13 here.
Vegans and those who don’t drink dairy also have an option called Panther M*lk Crema that I tried. It’s made using Oak Milk and described as the “world’s first oat milk-based cocktail”.
The consistency when poured out the bottle is very similar to Baileys and the taste isn’t bad either. It’s not a complete likeness and isn’t as thick as regular Irish Cream but it’s sweet and tasty. There is a slight after taste but for a vegan who misses having a Baileys, it’s as good as it gets.
For those who are less keen on the creamy side of Baileys, there are some decent options for after-dinner smooth liqueurs but they are at a premium price.
Among them is Casa Barú’s Xopa from Panama that is a high-quality rum-based coffee liqueur with distinctive tones that come from its slow brewing process. Coffee lovers will particularly love this and it is £27.30 at Master of Malt here.
There’s also something a little different from The Winter Wonderland with a Gingerbread Espresso Martini that can be drunk straight from the bottle with no mixing involved. This Scottish vodka-based drink from Dunnet Bay Distillers costs £27 and is one for those who don’t want as much cream from their liqueurs.