Cocktails with cream liqueur

You make cream liqueur with cola by pouring 4 cl of cream liqueur over a glass full of ice and topping up with 8 to 10 cl of cold cola. The ratio is therefore roughly one part liqueur to two to two and a half parts cola. Use a highball glass and plenty of ice, so that everything stays cold and does not dilute quickly. Pour the cola in slowly, because carbonation and cream quickly produce foam. Then stir briefly once or twice. More stirring is not necessary; you want to keep as much of the carbonation as possible. Anyone who wants it lighter takes 3 cl of liqueur and more cola.

Besides cola there are two classic ways to serve cream liqueur: in coffee and over vanilla ice cream.

• With coffee: pour 3 to 4 cl of cream liqueur into a cup or glass with about 15 cl of freshly brewed hot coffee and stir briefly. A dollop of lightly whipped cream on top is customary.
• With ice cream: pour 2 to 3 cl of cream liqueur over two scoops of vanilla ice cream in a coupe or small bowl. This is often served as a dessert.
• Neat on ice: 4 cl of cream liqueur over a few large ice cubes in a tumbler, the simplest way.

Irish Cream is a protected geographical indication for spirit drinks. The technical file, managed by the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, describes it as a liqueur of fresh Irish dairy cream blended with a sweetened, flavoured alcohol base and Irish whiskey. The requirements are specific: at least 15 percent alcohol, at least 10 percent milk fat, at least 100 grams of sugar per litre and Irish whiskey making up at least 1 percent of the alcohol. The cream must be pasteurised and may not be sterilised, UHT-treated or frozen. It is produced on the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland included. According to the file, Irish Cream was first presented in Dublin in 1974.

Cream liqueur is the general name for liqueur based on cream; within that, Irish Cream is a protected designation with fixed rules on origin and composition. Only liqueur made on the island of Ireland according to the technical file may be called Irish Cream or Irish Cream Liqueur. That name must appear on the front of the bottle, just as prominently as other descriptions and without any other words attached to it. If the bottle is bottled outside Ireland, the place of bottling must be stated on the label. Other cream liqueurs use, for example, a different drink as their base or come from a different country.

Yes, you make an alcohol-free version with cold coffee, a splash of whipping cream or whole milk and a few drops of vanilla syrup, topped up with cola. For example, take 3 cl cold coffee, 2 cl cream and 1 cl vanilla syrup in a highball glass with ice, and top up with 8 cl cola. Stir briefly. In colour and build the whole thing resembles cream liqueur with cola, without alcohol. A coffee with a dollop of whipped cream and a pinch of cocoa is also a well-known alcohol-free choice on the same occasions, for example after dinner.

In the shop on the Brink there are 32 bottles of cream liqueur. This is how you choose a bottle that suits the cocktail you want to make, whether it ends up with cola, coffee or ice cream. With Irish cream, check the label front for the words Irish Cream or Irish Cream Liqueur: that is the protected name. Not sure which bottle suits your recipe, or looking for a particular size? Feel free to call 0570 541 278 or drop by at Brink 2 in Bathmen.

The shop is at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Open Tuesday to Friday from 09.00 to 18.00 and Saturday from 09.00 to 17.00. For advice, call 0570 541 278 or email info@bockje.nl.