Best Irish Cream Under $20 for Irish Coffee and More

It’s Irish cream season! That one week a year when everyone suddenly remembers that creamy, sweet, boozy, liqueur exists. While Baileys is the original Irish cream (first created in 1974 by an English marketing executive, *gasp*), plenty of other Irish cream brands have popped up over the years. But how do you get the edge over Baileys? Two options: go craft and make a super artisanal Irish cream with ultra premium ingredients or go cheap and offer something that approximates Baileys but costs much less. 

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In this economy, we think finding the best Irish cream that comes in under $20 is more useful. And we live to be of service. So, I rounded up all the Irish cream under $20 and tasted them all in search of the best Irish cream you can buy on a budget. I tasted each one straight and mixed with coffee.  

What we looked for in the best Irish cream under $20

• Classic Irish cream flavor (aka Baileys). Since Baileys originated the category, the best Irish cream should taste pretty much like Baileys. It should have notes of coffee and chocolate and whiskey, all tied together with a gentle sweetness. 
• Creamy texture. Irish cream should be creamy. It’s in the name, after all. But it shouldn’t be thick. The ideal Irish cream has the texture of melted coffee ice cream. 
• Boozy kick. Sweet and creamy as it is, a great Irish cream should still have a boozy kick and the warming sensation of good whiskey. It needs to have enough of a kick to come through when mixed with other things like coffee or ice cream. 

In the end, we found two cheap Irish creams to recommend—one to drink straight and one for Irish coffee. Trust us on this—there really is a difference between Irish creams and these really are the best Irish creams under $20. (And here’s all the best cheap Irish whiskey and the best stout, aka Irish cream’s BFFs.) \

Best Irish Cream Under $20

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Best Irish Cream to Drink Straight

O’Connery’s Irish Cream Liqueur

Safeway

My first sip of this Irish cream was a zip of booze that shot through me. I thought it might be a little too harsh. But then I had a second sip and it immediately mellowed out into a sweet, creamy flavor. And, actually, it goes lighter on the boozy flavor than our other pick for the best Irish cream. That’s why I wouldn’t necessarily use this in a cocktail—its somewhat gentle flavors might get lost in the mix. I would, however, gladly sip this on its own over ice. 

Credit: Liv Averett / Safeway

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Best for Irish Coffee

Corrigan’s Country Cream

Total Wine

There’s no denying the booziness of this Irish cream. While it’s not quite as creamy as O’Connery’s it packs a ton of flavor that’s perfect for mixing into coffee. The bold whiskey flavor and pronounced sweetness blend beautifully with the rich, roasty flavors of coffee. Be careful. It’s so good you might be tempted to use it in place of your daily creamer. Save it for Sunday brunch—or maybe a little late afternoon St. Paddy’s Day treat.

Credit: Liv Averett / Total Wine

Rating:

9/10

Sporks

Other Irish creams we tried: 

Carolans, Kavanagh White Chocolate, Kavanagh Chocolate, Kavanagh, Sheelin