Popular Baileys myth debunked as Brits receiving bottles over Christmas warned

The Christmas countdown has begun and there's only four more days till a bottle of Baileys is waiting for you under the tree.

Dubbed as 'the UK's favourite drink at Christmas', Baileys Irish Cream is a liqueur made of cream, cocoa and Irish whiskey.

People either love it on its own or even in a hot chocolate or coffee.

However, the issue comes after Christmas when you don't feel as festive and aren't in the mood to polish off the rest of the bottle.

The drink company says it has a shelf life of two years from the date of bottling and since Baileys contains dairy cream, it can go bad over time.

Getty stock images

"Baileys Original lasts 2 years from the day of bottling, opened or unopened when stored at the optimum temperature (0 to 25°C/32 to 77°F)," they explain on their website.

"Please note that the 18, 20 or 24 month shelf life only applies to liquid in glass bottles.

"Our PET bottles which are 100ml or less all have a shelf life of 18 months."

But what are you supposed to do with the bottle now that you have it?

A popular Baileys myth is to store the drink in the fridge over the festive period.

But apparently there is no need.

Sainsbury's

"No, Baileys does not have to be stored in the fridge," the company said on their website.

"The recommended storages temperature for Baileys is 0C to 25C and not in direct sunlight."

With the average fridge temperature in the UK being 7C, there is no harm in keeping it in there but you might as well save some room for Christmas dinner leftovers.

Another thing to keep a note of is to not pour your expired Baileys down the drain once you've finished as it will 'wreak havoc' on your pipes.

Tradesmen at MyBuilder.com said: "Cream liqueur drinks, such as the popular Christmas favourite, Baileys, can be a problem for your plumbing at Christmas.

"However, this sort of beverage should never be disposed of in this way. Cream liqueurs have a large fat content and as such fall into the category of FOG (Fats, Oils, and Greases).

"FOG should never go down the sink, as it sticks to pipes and can cause blockages. It's also responsible for 'fatbergs' in our sewers."

If you want to get rid, it seems as though the proper method is to pour the liquid contents into a container and then just chuck that in your bin.

Topics: Food And Drink, Christmas

Anish Vij

Anish is a GG2 Young Journalist of the Year 2024 finalist. He has a Master's degree in Multimedia Journalism and a Bachelor's degree in International Business Management. Apart from that, his life revolves around the ‘Four F’s’ - family, friends, football and food. Email: [email protected]

@Anish_Vij