How to Make a Baby Guinness

Co-authored by Tom Blake

Last Updated: May 6, 2021 References

A Baby Guinness is a "shooter" or small alcoholic drink poured to look just like a Guinness Stout. By using a coffee liqueur and an Irish cream, you can recreate the iconic look of a Guinness' dark body and creamy head.

Ingredients

1 fl oz (30 mL) coffee liqueur
1 fl oz (30 mL) Irish cream

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Pouring a Basic Baby Guinness

1
Pick a shot glass. Most glasses hold 1.25 to 1.5 fl oz (37 to 44 mL) of fluid. Use any shot glasses that you may have around the house, or pick some up at a local store where alcohol is sold. Clear glasses will best showcase the visual effect of this drink.^{[1]
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2
Pour one ounce of coffee liqueur into the glass. This dark liqueur resembles the dark body of a Guinness, so it goes in first. If your shot glass is larger or smaller than 1.5 fl oz (44 mL), you can use a bit more or less; you'll want the coffee liqueur to make up about 2/3 of the drink.

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3
Pour 0.5 fl oz (15 mL) of Irish cream.^{[2]
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Research source} Pour the Irish cream gently so that it sits on top of the coffee liqueur, making up the remaining 1/3 of the drink. This lighter liqueur will resemble the foamy head of a Guinness. Holding a spoon over the top of the coffee liqueur and pouring the Irish cream over it may help it layer more evenly.^{[3]
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4
Serve your drink. Show off your pouring skills to your friends! They'll be impressed by the visual similarity to a Guinness and the shot's rich flavor.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Making Variations of the Baby Guinness

1
Try it as a jello shot. You'll need 1 packet of plain gelatin, 8 fl oz (240 mL) boiling water, 4 fl oz (120 mL) of cold coffee, 4 fl oz (120 mL) of coffee liqueur, 1 packet vanilla pudding, 4 fl oz (120 mL) of cold milk and 4 fl oz (120 mL) of Irish cream. You'll also need some small plastic cups for your shots.^{[4]
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- In a bowl, add one 3 oz (85 g) packet of plain gelatin and 4 fl oz (120 mL) of boiling water. Then, stir in 4 fl oz (120 mL) of cold coffee and 4 fl oz (120 mL) of cold coffee liqueur. This will form the dark coffee base of the jello shot.
- Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together 1 packet of vanilla pudding, 4 fl oz (120 mL) of cold milk and 4 fl oz (120 mL) of Irish cream. This will form the cream top of the Baby Guinness.
- Place cups on a tray or platter. Spoon the dark coffee mixture in first to fill 2/3 of the cup. Top carefully with the cream mixture to fill the rest of the cup.
- Refrigerate for two hours, or until solid.
2
Use a different colored liqueur base. The dark colored liqueur makes the shooter look like a Guinness, but a lighter colored liqueur can make your shot look more like a pint of ale or lager. Try a sweet liqueur like Amaretto or or Licor 43.
3
Add Triple-Sec to make a B-52. A B-52 is another layered shot that also uses coffee liqueur and Irish cream. The only difference is that coffee liqueur makes up the bottom 1/3 layer, Irish cream makes up the second 1/3 layer, and a final 1/3 layer of Triple-sec is added on top.^{[5]
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- To make a flaming B-52 shot, use a high proof Triple-sec liquor, such as Cointreau. Light the shots right before serving them, but make sure that everyone blows out the flame before they drink and be very careful when serving flaming beverages!

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do I make a shooter?

Tom Blake
Professional Bartender
Tom Blake manages the bartending blog, craftybartending.com. He has been a bartender since 2012 and has written a book named The Bartender's Field Manual.

Tom Blake

Professional Bartender

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

A shooter is a mixed ingredient shot. You can make shooters by following shooter recipes.
Question

How do I make non-alcoholic Irish drinks for kids?

HumanBeing

Top Answerer

Anything green is considered Irish by some, so you could color clear lemonade with green food coloring. Serve golden apple juice as "End of the Rainbow Brew". Vanilla milkshake coloued green could become "Shamrock Shake". Mocktails are perhaps not appropriate for children - they could be seen as glamorizing alcohol.

Warnings

Never drink under the legal drinking age in your area or serve anyone who is under the legal drinking age!

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Always drink liquor responsibly and in moderation.

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Pay attention to the alcohol percentages on coffee liqueurs and Irish creams. Some are stronger than others, and you may be handing out much stronger shots than you think!

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