Sheridan's
The two-chamber bottle: coffee and chocolate on one side, vanilla cream on the other. Everything about the alcohol percentage, how to pour it, and the glass that goes with it.
One bottle, two chambers, two liqueurs
Sheridan's is not an ordinary liqueur but a trick in a glass. The bottle consists of two chambers joined together, each with its own cap. The larger, dark chamber contains a liqueur of coffee, chocolate and Irish whiskey; the smaller, white chamber contains a creamy vanilla liqueur. When you pour them at the same time, the cream stays neatly on top of the coffee because it is lighter.
The brand comes from Ireland and has been around since the 1990s. The blend is 15.5% ABV, about as low as Baileys, and the two halves together are sweet and creamy without becoming heavy. It is ideal as an after-dinner liqueur or as the base for a layered shot when you already need two colors.
In brief
Sheridan's and similar liqueurs
Sheridan's comes in one bottle. These liqueurs are in the same category: coffee, cream, or both.
Sheridan's Double
The double bottle: coffee, chocolate and Irish whiskey on one side, vanilla cream on the other. Pour together, don't mix.
Baileys Original
The best-known Irish cream liqueur: cream, Irish whiskey and chocolate in one bottle. Fuller and creamier than the white half of Sheridan's.
Tia Maria
Rum-based coffee liqueur with Jamaican coffee and vanilla. Drier than the coffee half of Sheridan's and better for mixing.
Kahlúa
The Mexican coffee liqueur, sweeter and with more caramel than Tia Maria. The standard for the White Russian.
Irish Mist
Irish whiskey with honey and herbs, at 35%. No cream, but Irish, and considerably stronger than the rest of this list.
Sheridan's for the effect; Baileys if you're simply looking for a cream liqueur.
Coffee and chocolate beneath a layer of vanilla cream
Coffee & chocolate
Espresso, dark chocolate and a hint of Irish whiskey. Fairly dry and quite full-flavored on its own.
Vanilla cream
Cream with distinct vanilla, lighter and sweeter than Baileys. Intended to float on top of the coffee as a layer.
Sweet and creamy
In your mouth, the two blend together and give you something between an iced coffee and a dessert. Short, sweet and smooth.
Flavor profile of Sheridan's Double, both halves together. Tia Maria and Kahlúa are drier and score higher in strength; Irish Mist is clearly higher on both.
Three ways to drink Sheridan's
The whole point is the layer: coffee below, cream above. So always pour from both chambers at once, directly above the glass.
Layered in a narrow glass
Hold the bottle upright above a narrow, straight glass and pour from both chambers at once. The cream will then naturally float on top of the coffee. It works much less well in a wide glass, and not at all with a tilted bottle.
Glass: shot glass →Over ice
Fill a small glass with two ice cubes and pour both chambers over them. The cold makes the liqueur thicker and less sweet; the layer also remains visible on the ice.
Glass: liqueur glass →In coffee
A pour from the dark chamber into a cup of black coffee, followed by the cream from the white chamber. Don't stir: this gives you the same layer as in the glass, but warm.
Irish Coffee recipe →Shots and cocktails with Sheridan's
A liqueur that creates its own layers is made for layered shots and dessert cocktails.
B52
Coffee liqueur, cream liqueur and orange liqueur in three layers. Layering in miniature.
Espresso Martini
Vodka, fresh espresso and coffee liqueur, shaken hard for the foam.
Mudslide
Vodka, coffee liqueur and cream liqueur. Almost a milkshake with alcohol.
Irish Coffee
Coffee, Irish whiskey, sugar and a layer of cream on top. Same idea, served warm.The right glass for Sheridan's
A narrow, straight glass keeps the layer intact best. For serving over ice, a small liqueur glass is more convenient. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Sheridan's
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