When Ryan Waters, bar manager at the Abbey Tavern in Dublin, hears “Let’s do shots!” he knows that the drink of choice will most likely be Baby Guinness. As adorable as it is delicious, the mini tribute to Ireland’s famous stout—made with coffee and cream liqueurs—is on the rise.
Like many homegrown drinks, there are different theories as to where the Baby Guinness originated. Some say it comes from a time when pregnant women were offered a mini bottle of the actual stout in Irish maternity wards for the believed health benefits. A more common legend suggests that the shot was invented in the 1980s or ’90s at the Waxie Dargle, a now-closed pub near a large maternity hospital in Dublin. There, the bartender would serve new fathers a shot of the bar’s housemade coffee liqueur topped with Baileys to mark the occasion. And just like a new baby, a new shot was born.
Today you can find Baby Guinness across Ireland, from the taverns of Dublin’s busy Temple Bar area to pubs in remote villages on the outskirts of the island. Bars have put creative twists on the shot, swapping in Kahlúa and Baileys’ seasonal flavors, like pumpkin and peppermint, throughout the year. There are vegan versions, made with nondairy cream liqueurs, and versions topped with chocolate or a dash of cinnamon. And for something stronger, a common swap trades Kahlúa, now the most popular liqueur for the shot, with Patrón’s tequila-based coffee liqueur.
Waters, at the Abbey Tavern, grew up living above a pub and started changing kegs when he was 15. In recent years, he says, “Baby Guinness has become mad popular,” especially at stag dos and hen dos (bachelor and bachelorette parties). While once reserved for university students on term break looking to get drunk fast, ironically, the Baby Guinness may be gaining popularity for its relatively lower ABV. As a bartender, Waters appreciates that, at 19 percent ABV, there is a “safety” with Baby Guinness.
Plus, he says, the shot’s popularity just makes sense: “It’s delicious, when, truthfully, most shots just aren’t.”
