Beer Drinkers Might Not Love A Baby Guinness, But A Coffee Lover Is Sure To

Hearing the term "baby Guinness" might have you thinking about a cute little gnome-sized mini pint of dark, malty beer, but this is a drink made for coffee lovers. This sweet shooter lacks the bitter hops flavor beer enthusiasts yearn for because — despite its namesake — a baby Guinness doesn't contain a drop of stout. The somewhat deceiving moniker mirrors another misleading two-ingredient drink called a little beer shot, though the pair part ways when it comes to taste and appearance.

A baby Guinness has coffee liqueur with Irish cream layered on top, and its name correlates to how the cocktail imitates a petite glass of perfectly poured brew when served. It's a shot that feels right at home while celebrating St. Patrick's Day — when (usually) it's beer drinking that's a rite of passage. Nonetheless, the top layer of choice is often Baileys, but other Irish creams, such as Kyrö Dairy Cream, work just as well, if not better, according to some. The trick to getting the "head" of the shot to rest on top of the liqueur is to pour it slowly over a bar spoon. As for which coffee liqueur to fill the bottom of the glass with, that is more aggressively debated.

The first beverage that comes to mind for many when thinking about a coffee liqueur is Kahlúa, which is commonly used to create the bottom layer of a baby Guinness. However, some prefer a drink that's less sweet with a smoother finish, and for this reason, choose to go with Tia Maria. Others skip the rum-based beverages entirely and turn to Patron XO Cafe for a tequila-infused baby Guinness, creating a fusion between Mexican and Irish alcohols. If you make one at home, use whichever coffee liqueur you wish, as they will all mesh well with the cream layer above.

There is also some differentiation regarding how much dairy gets added to the top. Many call for just a slight layer on the shot and fill the glass four-fifths full of coffee liqueur. Some folks think that's being a little stingy with the cream, and only fill their glasses three-fourths the way up with java-infused alcohol. That's still not enough creaminess for a few who like to blanket the entire third of the top with Baileys. The correct ratio all depends on how much cream liqueur you want on top of your drink. But beware — fiddling with these ratios not only affects the beverage's taste and appearance, but the caffeine and alcohol levels as well.

The Irish cream you choose to top a baby Guinness shot with will not affect the alcohol or caffeine content much, as most popular brands like Baileys, Kerrygold (yes, they make a cream liqueur as well as butter), and Saint Brendan's all have a 17% ABV. However, the amount you use will alter how much coffee liqueur is in the drink, which can considerably affect the overall ABV and caffeine levels. 

One shot of Kahlúa has a 16% ABV and 4.5 milligrams of caffeine – compared to a cup of joe, which contains 100 milligrams. If you were to fill a shot glass three-fourths full of Kahlúa and the other one-fourth with Baileys, your baby Guinness would have a 19.25% ABV and not much caffeine to speak of. On the other hand, were you to use German-made CO'PS coffee liqueur and Baileys using the same ratio, the drink would have a 26.75% ABV and more than 10 times the amount of caffeine compared to using Kahlúa.

If you love the robust taste of coffee and have a strong sweet tooth, you can't go wrong with the flavorful simplicity of the baby Guinness. They can go down quickly, however, and catch up with you even faster if you're not careful. Between imbibing these little bundles of joy, you may want something lighter – like a refreshing beer spritz – to break up the richness of this full-flavored cocktail and pace your alcohol consumption.