{"id":59658,"date":"2025-07-29T12:46:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-29T11:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"\/blog\/post\/why-we-love-the-baby-guinness\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T14:59:55","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T14:59:55","slug":"why-we-love-the-baby-guinness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.masterofmalt.com\/blog\/post\/why-we-love-the-baby-guinness\/","title":{"rendered":"Why We Love Baby Guinness"},"content":{"rendered":"

Before I became a writer for Master of Malt, I was a bartender at a pub in Maidstone. We didn\u2019t have Baby Guinness<\/strong> on the menu. <\/span><\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t stop us from serving them regularly, however. In particular, one bartender was famous (or infamous if you were counting stock) for serving them to staff who had finished their shift. Or for those on a night out. It was rare that either group ever even ordered them. I don’t recall anyone complaining.<\/span><\/p>\n

I always get nostalgic for those days when I see a shot of Baby Guinness. Which is frequently given the explosion in its popularity.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Why

Baby Guinness, anyone?<\/p><\/div>\n

Why we love the Baby Guinness<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The Baby Guinness has one major asset: it tastes nice. Let\u2019s face it, most shots don\u2019t. They’re karmic punishments or borderline forfeits.<\/span><\/p>\n

Typically, a gut punch of Tequila<\/a> after too many drinks already (please start treating Tequila better). Or a liqueur drowned in an energy drink. Let\u2019s be honest, energy drinks have improved very little other than the standard of football in provincial Germanic cities.<\/span><\/p>\n

Order a round of Baby Guinness, and other people will too. The key novelty factor of its Guinness-style appearance goes far.<\/p>\n

It also has a skill factor built in. It’s not exactly rocket science, but you need to create a separation between the two ingredients or the drink falls flat. The first couple of times you make one, you’ll probably mess it up. But that only adds to the fun, particularly in a group setting.<\/p>\n

\"Baby

The Baby Guinness is typically made with Kahl\u00faa and Baileys*<\/p><\/div>\n

What is a Baby Guinness made of?<\/b><\/h3>\n

Anyway, I\u2019m getting ahead of myself. You need to know what a Baby Guinness is. <\/span><\/p>\n

Simply, it’s a layered shot that resembles a miniature version of the classic Guinness stout. And it’s made with two ingredients:<\/p>\n

Kahl\u00faa<\/strong><\/a> (or another coffee liqueur) \u2013 This forms the “body” of the shot, mimicking the dark colour of Guinness.<\/p>\n

Baileys Irish Cream<\/strong><\/a> (or another Irish cream) \u2013 Poured carefully on top to create a frothy, creamy “head” resembling the foam of a pint of Guinness.<\/p>\n

The ratio of coffee liqueur to Irish cream isn’t usually measured to an exact degree; you basically eyeball it to mimic the pint. Generally, it\u2019s around three-quarters coffee liqueur, one-quarter Irish cream.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The

The shot mimics the appearance of a classic pint of Guinness<\/p><\/div>\n

How do you make a Baby Guinness?<\/b><\/h3>\n

To make it, pour the Kahl\u00faa (or alternative coffee liqueur) into a shot glass, then layer the Baileys on top by pouring it over the back of a spoon for a smooth separation. That separation is key; it’s what gives it the shot at its novelty, fun appeal. The fact that it’s basically coffee x cream in terms of flavour takes care of the rest.<\/p>\n

There is no Guinness stout involved at all. This is not \u201ca wee Guinness\u201d. Order that, and you\u2019ll probably get a half pint. With a logo on the foam.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Making a layered Baby Guinness shot can seem a bit intimidating if you’ve never done it before. But it’s pretty easy to get the hang of once you\u2019ve tried it a couple of times. Here are some pro-tips to help (plus a video).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n