It is the original Irish cream, invented by a team headed by Tom Jago in 1971 for Gilbeys of Ireland; Diageo currently owns the trademark.

[1] Baileys Irish Cream was created in London by advertising executive Tom Jago,[2] working from a marketing brief issued by Gilbeys of Ireland, a division of International Distillers & Vintners.

[7] It included alcohol, cream and the chocolate milk-based drink powder Nesquik produced by Nestle;[7] the initial formulation process took approximately 45 minutes.

Cream and Irish whiskey from various distilleries[10] are homogenised to form an emulsion with the aid of an emulsifier containing refined vegetable oil.

The manufacturer claims Baileys Irish Cream has a shelf life of 24 months and guarantees its taste for two years from the day it was made—opened or unopened, refrigerated or not—when stored away from direct sunlight at temperatures between 0 and 25 °C (32 and 77 °F).

While this outcome is undesirable in most situations, some cocktails (such as the cement mixer, which consists of a shot of Baileys mixed with the squeezed juice from a slice of lime) specifically encourage coagulation.

The company released a Vanilla-Cinnamon variety in the US market in 2013, with further flavours, Pumpkin Spice, Espresso and Salted Caramel launching the following year.

[20] Baileys have continued to release new varieties, including Strawberries & Cream (2018),[21] Red Velvet Cupcake (2019),[22] Apple Pie (2020),[23] Pina Colada (2021 & 2023) [24] S'more (2022) [25] and Vanilla Mint Shake (2023).