Baileys is one of the few drinks brands that's become more associated with a single season than with the product itself - and the chocolate and gifting trend built around it has arguably outgrown the original liqueur.
A 1974 invention, not a Christmas tradition
Baileys launched in 1974 as the first Irish cream liqueur on the market, made from cream, cocoa and Irish whiskey. Accounts of exactly how it was formulated differ - some point to surplus alcohol from a struggling distillery combined with surplus dairy cream, with the earliest recipe reportedly including chocolate powder - but its chocolate character has always come from cocoa and vanilla in the base recipe. Baileys is widely credited with creating the cream liqueur category outright, and faced a wave of cheaper imitators once it proved the format worked.
How it became a Christmas fixture
According to reporting on the brand's history, Baileys wasn't originally designed or marketed as a festive drink. Over its first 25 years on the market it became closely linked with holiday-season drinking anyway, and it's now bought almost exclusively in December. That seasonal pull has fed a whole secondary category of licensed Baileys-flavoured foods - truffles, ice cream, yule logs, and gift-boxed pairings - with limited-edition crossovers (such as a Baileys x Terry's Chocolate Orange release) built specifically around Christmas gifting.
What we actually stock right now
We don't currently stock Baileys or cream liqueur chocolates. If you're after a filled chocolate with a genuine soft centre for gifting, our truffles guide covers the ganache-based chocolates we do stock now.
Frequently asked questions
When was Baileys invented and what's it made from?
1974, made from cream, cocoa and Irish whiskey - the first Irish cream liqueur on the market.
Why is Baileys associated with Christmas if it wasn't designed that way?
It became linked with holiday drinking over its first 25 years and is now bought almost exclusively in December.
What are 'cream liqueur chocolates'?
Chocolates flavoured to echo a cream liqueur like Baileys, usually sold as festive gifting rather than everyday chocolate.
Does Supreme Sweets stock Baileys or cream liqueur chocolates?
Not currently - see our truffles guide for the ganache-based chocolates we do stock.