All of us have tried to drink like the laziest man in Los Angeles County. Jeffrey Lebowski (also known as “The Dude”) is the main character of the 1998 Coen Brothers film The Big Lebowski. He’s famous for not only being so lazy that he wears a bathrobe every day, but for drinking nine White Russians during the duration of the film. The White Russian is a cocktail that contains vodka, cream and coffee liqueur, and it’s delicious. The Dude approves.
Kahlua and Baileys have the coffee liqueur and Irish Cream liqueur markets cornered, respectively. There are, however, more cream liqueurs available than those two household names, and you should know about them. Here are two of the most unique and delicious cream liqueurs not called Kahlua or Baileys:
Jackson Morgan Southern Whiskey Cream
“Jackson Morgan Southern Cream is a family company,” says Jackson Morgan’s Morgan Wetherington. Their whiskey cream is named after Wetherington and her younger brother Jackson. It all started in 1921 when their great-grandfather Alfred Wetherington started a whiskey business. “He later decided to become a preacher and left the whiskey life behind.”
Almost one-hundred years later, Wetherington and her brother are picking up where their great-grandfather left off with a new twist on the family recipe. “Jackson and I were inspired by our home state of Tennessee when curating Jackson Morgan.” Being born and raised in Tennessee, the duo wanted to create a craft whiskey cream that had Tennessee whiskey in it as well as playful southern flavors. “As an amateur chef, we also wanted a product that can be easily included in recipes for even more versatility.” She has made everything from ice cream to creme brûlée to pancakes using Jackson Morgan.
The pair wanted to bring the flavor trend in the liquor industry to the cream aisle, while also making a cream that can be sipped year round not just during the holidays. “Consumers are usually surprised by how easy and smooth Jackson Morgan is to drink. Jackson Morgan makes it easy for beginner whiskey drinker to transition to stronger whiskey drinks through an easy to sip on cream.”
Currently they sell salted caramel, whipped orange, brown cinnamon sugar, bread pudding, peppermint mocha, and peaches and cream flavors. “We have more inventive flavors in the works,” says Wetherington. Recently, Jackson Morgan racked up a few wins at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. They were awarded for their salted caramel, whipped orange, and peaches and cream flavors.
Jackson Morgan is currently only available in Tennessee. “We will be available in Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, Florida, and several other states later this summer.” Locations and more information can be found on their website.
Their whiskey creams can be mixed with other flavored whiskeys and liquors for easy-to-sip-on cocktails. “Our most popular cocktail is called the ‘Blueberry Muffin’ which is equal parts Jackson Morgan Salted Caramel and blueberry vodka,” says Wetherington. She says that spiked milkshakes are also a fan favorite. You can check out the Jackson Morgan website for more cocktail recipe ideas.
Almondaire
Almondaire with horchata, cinnamon, and cinnamon stick
Almondaire is the first product developed by Bar Napkin Spirits, a company formed to create and market unique spirits. “We are a team that is dedicated to developing new beverages to enjoy with friends and family,” says Bar Napkin Spirits’ Paul McCreary. They decided to call themselves Bar Napkin Spirits because their founders are engineers that would occasionally meet up at the bar to talk shop. “Some of our best ideas came from those meetings.”
It has a distinct nuttiness compared to most Irish Cream style liqueurs. “That comes from the almonds that also give Almondaire its luscious and creamy texture,” says McCreary. Almondaire also has chocolate, vanilla, and whisky flavors that are prominent in classic Irish Creams. Almondaire is 13.9% ABV and uses corn-based neutral grain spirits as its alcohol base. “We use 100% corn neutral grain spirits to assure that it is gluten-free.”
A Project of Passion
“All of us have friends and family that are lactose-intolerant, gluten-intolerant, vegan, or need lower-calorie or lower-fat options.” McCreary’s mother avoids dairy because of slight lactose-intolerance. “We wanted to create an Irish Cream-style liqueur because it is a classic blend of flavors that many people have a very personal connection to.” Irish Creams and cream liqueurs in general are drinks that people love to share with friends and family at celebrations, holidays, or just at a fun get together. With Almondaire, people can now partake, whereas they may have not been able to prior.
Almondaire is 83 calories, 1.2 g fat, 9 g carbs, and 1 g protein per 1.5 oz shot. “Compared to the best selling Irish Cream that has 147 calories, 5.9g fat, 11.3 g carbs, and 1.4 g protein per 1.5 oz shot,” says McCreary. Almondaire uses only gluten-free grains in the alcohol base which is 100% corn neutral grain spirits.
It’s the only liqueur that is made to emulate the creamy texture and luscious flavors that people love in traditional irish creams. “It was made for the people that have not been able to enjoy traditional cream liqueurs in the past.” Anyone who is lactose-intolerant, gluten-intolerant, vegan, or just looking for a lower-calorie or lower-fat alternative to traditional cream liqueurs can enjoy Almondaire. “Most importantly, it is delicious.”
Many liqueurs avoid mentioning the nutritional information and allergen information on their label, but they are proud of what they created. “We list calories, fat, carbs, protein, and allergen information.” Almondaire does contain almonds and soy allergens.
Bar Napkin Spirits lists various recipes for cocktails on their website and pinterest pages. These are updated regularly to most fit the flavor of the season. “We always try to make our recipes simple so that people can prepare them easily,” says McCreary. “They can be made quickly in bars or at home.”
Other cream liqueurs include: Bols Yoghurt, Amarula Fruit Cream Liqueur, Magnum Cream, Batida De Coco Liqueur, Sheridan’s Coffee Liqueur, Ponche Kuba Cream Liqueur, Heather Cream Liqueur, Tia Maria Liqueur and RumChata Cream Liqueur.
