The narrative of cream liqueurs over the past few decades has been that of a stagnant category dominated by Baileys; a category which is hugely popular during the festive period and winter months and one that’s synonymous with desserts and after-dinner occasions. However, while Baileys remains the dominant force, consumers have evolved significantly in the 21st century in terms of their wellbeing, dietary decisions and quality expectations, which has forced the category to evolve in line.
According to a report by Business Research Insights, the global cream liqueur market size was just shy of US$ 1787m in 2022 and the market is projected to reach around US$ 3535m by 2032.
Diageo’s Baileys, which sold 8.2 million 9-litre cases in 2023, is Irish whiskey-based and generally considered the classic style of cream liqueur. Despite the brand dropping almost 7% in volumes compared to 2022, it’s up almost one million over the past five years due to its own innovation. Baileys, at the time of writing, had 12 variants on its website, ranging from Mint Choc Shake to Eton Mess to Orange Truffle as well as a lower-calorie option. However, what’s really growing cream liqueurs is the emergence of brands across different spirits categories.
The report by Business Research Insights also says: “In Spain, there's a growing preference for low-alcohol tequila creams, as outlined by Humphrey Serjeantson, the research director of IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, who notes the shift from high-alcohol shots to these low-alcohol options due to their appealing flavours and reduced alcohol content.”
McCormick Distilling Company’s Tequila Rose Strawberry Cream is the dominant force in this agave movement, particularly in Europe where ‘tequila rose’ shots are consumed in vast volumes. Outside agave there’s Kyrö Distillery Company in Finland, which uses a rye base for its whisky cream liqueur, and in Kentucky, Buffalo Trace has its Bourbon Cream made with straight bourbon. Even Foursquare Distillery in Barbados uses its premium rum to make its Crisma cream liqueur. After an extensive Google search, it seems every established spirits category (except mezcal) has a representative in the cream liqueur sector, including amaretto. Amaretto Adriatico in Puglia, Italy, makes its Bianco cream liqueur using crushed almonds.
“Bianco is performing very well,” says founder Jean-Robert Bellanger. “In some countries it’s 50/50 in terms of sales [alongside its flagship Amaretto Adriatico Roasted], which is surprising. When we do tastings, people go crazy for Bianco, even more so than Roasted, but on a shelf it’s the Roasted which performs best. Getting people to taste Bianco is the challenge because generally people are more hesitant with creamy products, yet once they do we have a very loyal customer base. That’s why the on-trade benefits us significantly.”
In 2019 Bellanger actually sent samples of Bianco to Baileys co-creator David Gluckman before launching the product. “He told me that he thought it could be the next generation of Baileys, which was pretty special to hear. I didn’t create Bianco to rival Baileys but I thought ‘why not’?”
Health focus
One of the big influences on cream liqueurs is the generation of health-conscious consumers. Fewer calories are preferred, hence Baileys Deliciously Light, while dietary requirements are another obstacle for traditional cream liqueurs, although, according to the same report by Business Research Insights, this has been a positive for the category.
“The industry has witnessed the rise of dairy-free and vegan cream liqueurs to cater to changing dietary preferences,” reads the report.
“Furthermore, the emergence of cream liqueurs with lower sugar content and dairy-free options caters to health-conscious consumers. These factors collectively contribute to the continued growth and diversification of the cream liqueur market.”
One of the most recent alternative cream liqueur launches is Oatrageous, a plant-based brand free from dairy, gluten, seed oils, high-fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners. It debuted in the US with three varieties in September: Espresso, Coconut and Bourbon Cream. The latter is said to be the first dairy-free bourbon cream on the market and Oatrageous claims to have 30% less sugar than leading cream liqueurs and just 100 calories per 44ml (1.5oz).
According to Adriatico’s Bellanger, there are benefits to being a vegan product beyond simply appealing to health-conscious consumers or those with dietary requirements. “Being vegan is a huge advantage because cream-based liqueurs cannot mix with lime or lemon juice, which is in so many drinks, because it would separate,” he says.
“Bianco really isn’t comparable to anything on the market right now and the beauty of the product is that you can match it with so many different ingredients as a modifier.” The brand has several signature serves for its Bianco, including the Puglia Paloma, Amaretto Bianco Sour and the Madeleine 2.0, which uses a combination of pineapple and mandarin juice with the liqueur.
“We’re also working with Madeleine 2.0 as a shot (pictured), which is something we’re trying to push because the lower abv shots are trending right now, and Bianco is only 16% abv.”
Cream liqueurs have come a long way over the past 20 years. What used to be a category of Irish whiskey-based brands largely imitating Baileys is now producing some genuinely complex liquids across a range of spirits categories.
Brands have also addressed and embraced the challenges of health and wellbeing in modern society and, while they can’t compete with the likes of a hard seltzer on that front, shaving off a few calories but maintaining the indulgent nature of a cream liqueur is a big win.
