How To Make A Baby Guinness
Here’s how to make a Baby Guinness with clean defined layers.
The Baby Guinness, okay, so not really a cocktail. However, it is incredibly popular and its clear to see why. It’s an easy shot to take, the combination of coffee and cream is delicious regardless of the fact it curdles and at the end of the day, its fun. Fun to make and fun to look at.
I mean it looks like a Guinness, but teeny tiny. It’s adorable, what’s not to love? The issue people have when making these is not getting those defined layers. Which is due to the choice of liqueurs used and the speed/technique in which you try to layer them. The good news is that it’s super simple to do right. So here we have it, here’s how to make a Baby Guinness with clear, defined, layers…
Baby Guinness ingredients
Coffee Liqueur: Typically Kahlua or Tia Maria
Cream Liqueur: Typically Baileys
When it comes to the enchanting Baby Guinness shot, the magic lies in the simplicity of its ingredients. Here's a closer look at the dynamic duo that transforms an ordinary shot into a visually stunning and irresistibly delicious miniature pint.
Kahlua or Tia Maria for Baby Guinness
Should you use Kahlua or Tia Maria for a Baby Guinness? Any of them will work. Both Kahlua or Tia Maria can be used.
The first half of this magical partnership is the rich, coffee-infused liqueur. Two popular choices that lend themselves perfectly to the Baby Guinness are Kahlúa and Tia Maria. Both boast a bold coffee flavor with subtle hints of vanilla and caramel, adding depth to the shot.
Kahlúa, a classic choice, brings a robust coffee essence complemented by a sweet and slightly bitter profile. On the other hand, Tia Maria introduces a touch of Jamaican rum, offering a distinct richness that elevates the overall experience.
The choice between Kahlúa and Tia Maria ultimately depends on your preference for the nuanced flavors each brings to the table. Whether you lean towards the traditional notes of Kahlúa or the rum-infused elegance of Tia Maria, either option sets the stage for the next captivating layer.
How to make Baby Guinness with Tia Maria and Baileys
Tia Maria is undoubtedly the more popular option for a Baby Guinness. Now, let's delve into the art of crafting the Baby Guinness with the irresistible combination of Tia Maria and Baileys Irish Cream. The seamless layering of these ingredients is the secret behind the shot's iconic appearance, mimicking a miniature pint of stout.
Ingredients:
Tia Maria
Baileys Irish Cream
Instructions:
Choose Your Shot Glass: Select a small, clear shot glass to showcase the distinct layers of the Baby Guinness. The visual appeal is key to the shot's charm.
Pour Tia Maria: Begin by carefully pouring Tia Maria into the shot glass, filling it to about two-thirds or halfway. The deep, dark hue of Tia Maria creates the illusion of the stout base.
Layer with Baileys Irish Cream: Now comes the magical moment. Take a spoon, preferably the back of it, and position it just above the surface of the Tia Maria. Slowly pour Baileys over the back of the spoon, allowing it to gently cascade onto the Tia Maria. The Baileys, being lighter, will float on top, creating the distinct layered effect resembling a creamy stout head.
Perfecting the Pour: Achieving that flawless layering might take a bit of practice. The key is to pour slowly and steadily, allowing the liquids to naturally separate. The result should be a shot that looks like a miniature Guinness – dark and rich at the bottom, transitioning into a creamy, light top layer.
Serve and Savor: Your Baby Guinness is now ready to be admired and enjoyed. Serve it with a flourish, and encourage your guests to savor the layers with a single, delightful sip.
Why layered drinks work
The trick to layering drinks all comes down to alcohol density (or the gravity of each liquid).
Simply put, if 1 liquid is light and another is heavy, then the light liquid will sit on top of the heavy liquid, creating layers.
The difference between the heaviness or density of each liquid will usually come down to sugar. The higher the sugar content, the heavier it is. Which is why when you put syrup in coffee it sinks right to the bottom and you have to stir it to combine.
The b52 is a perfect example of this phenomenon. Coffee liqueur is full of sugar so it sits at the bottom, Grand Marnier is light so it sits on top and baileys is right in the middle, allowing it to sit in-between.
With that understanding you can create any layered shot you want. Just swap out the ingredients in this recipe with ones that have similar densities.
How to layer drinks
Layer drinks slowly over the back of a spoon
The bigger the difference in density, the crisper the layers will be. Take this shot for example…
That is the B52 Shot. Notice how the bottom red layer and middle white layer have a crisp line between them, especially when compared to the white layer and top orange layer which almost blends with each other.
I layered them the exact same way. The reason for the crisper layer at the bottom is that there’s a bigger difference between the densities of those to liquids. The top and middle layer is more similar so it blends.
How to figure out what liquor will layer?
As mentioned above, sugar density is what you’re trying to figure out. The higher the sugar, the denser it will be. Generally speaking if a liquid is higher in ABV it’ll have less sugar and so will be lighter. 40% ABV rum will sit on top of a 20% ABV liqueur for example.
Check out my alcohol density chart here.
More layered drinks similar to the Baby Guinness
Flag shots. Here are my 5 layered flag shots.
As for the cocktails, start by checking out my layered Ukraine flag cocktail here.
B-52
Finally, don’t forget to check out the Baby Guinness’s little brother - The B52 Shot.
Baby Guinness Recipe
baby guinness
Ingredients
Instructions
- In a shot glass, pour coffee liqueur to the 3 quarters mark.
- Then, using the back of a spoon, slowly pour over the Irish cream liqueur so it layers on top looking like, well, a baby Guinness.
Notes
Top Tip
Most popular liqueurs to use are Kahlua, Mr Black and Tia Maria for the coffee and Baileys for the Irish cream. Try using speed pourers as a way to better control and slow the pour, the slower you pour, the more defined the layering will be.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
54.72Fat
0.18Sat. Fat
0.09Carbs
7.27Fiber
0Net carbs
7.27Sugar
7.22Protein
0.04Sodium
1.2Cholesterol
0The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
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