Baileys turns 40

On November 16, 2014 was the 40 ^th birthday of Baileys, the world’s favorite liqueur.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BAILEYS!

To celebrate, we’ve compiled a list of some of the lesser-known facts about the brand:

A little more information you can share with your guests!

• Many people credit the creation of Baileys to a single man, David Dand, who is often described as the “godfather of Baileys”. David had the vision of blending cream and Whisky together with the ambition of creating a drink that was both suitable for the export market and one that would reflect the heritage and agricultural traditions of Ireland.

• The first experiments to make Baileys were done in a Kenwood mixer—just like one you would use in a kitchen at home.

• A father and son duo have been at the center of the Baileys success story. Steve Wilson led the first team that invented Baileys Original 40 years ago. Nearly 40 years later, his son Anthony Wilson went on to be the principal scientist that invented other exciting Baileys innovations.

• There are 40,000 cows on 1,500 farms dedicated to producing cream for Baileys. The cream arrives at the factory 36 hours after leaving the farm for optimum freshness. 36 hours from cow to bottle!

• Baileys has a long shelf life—but that wasn’t the case 40 years ago. When it first launched in 1974, it only lasted a few weeks. Baileys is now fresh in the bottle two years after it is produced because of the production process and the quality of ingredients.

• Baileys was launched in Australia by accident in the 1970s. Dand met the chief executive of an Australian drinks distributor in Amsterdam at a workshop, persuaded him to take 800 cases to Australia, and three weeks later another order came for 5,000 cases. It was a huge hit with the large Irish community, and newspapers even ran advertisements announcing they had Baileys back in their stores.

• Over 80% of the packaging and ingredients in Baileys are sourced in Ireland. The cocoa beans and vanilla extract that give Baileys its rich, chocolaty taste are harvested in West Africa and processed in France.

• Baileys is sold in 160 countries worldwide. It is the world’s favorite liqueur brand and ranks as the 10^th premium spirit brand in the world [Impact Data Bank 2014].

Celebrate Baileys’ birthday (responsibly)…how about a Baileys Birthday Cake Shot?

Cheers!