“We’re raising the bar for brunch with this creamy partnership between Eggo & Appalachian Sippin’ Cream. With the delicious flavor of toasty Eggo Waffles drizzled in syrup, Brunch in a Jar is the perfect addition to any brunch. Sips up!”
If I’m honest, I had trouble reading through that paragraph—found on the back of Eggo Brunch In A Jar Sippin’ Cream from Sugarlands Distilling Co.—without breaking into laughter. Not only is calling something a “Sippin’ Cream” objectively hilarious and cursed in equal measure, but I was highly suspicious of a liqueur that claims to taste like waffles and syrup à la Willy Wonka’s chewing gum meal. Not a minute later, I was a bit surprised by what the mason jar coated in Eggo’s iconic, bright red-and-yellow branding contained. No, it wasn’t a potion that transformed me into a giant waffle fresh from the toaster, but it was something surprisingly enjoyable—and shockingly on the mark.
I’m not very into cream liqueurs. Similar to any cream-forward cordial or the like, I find them to be oversweet and under-boozed, and they tend to stick in my throat with an unpleasant coating—an unforgivable offense considering I already have some pretty persistent breathing issues. That said, I’m not immune to the charm of something sweet and creamy, especially this time of year. Who doesn’t like a bracing Irish coffee, especially after a big meal or as a stop-gap between festivities? And lest we forget one of the best ways to punch up a White Russian: swapping out heavy cream for a cream liqueur adds some extra kick to an all-timer dessert drink with iconic cultural cache. Dessert-y ice cream drinks are a big deal in Wisconsin, where I’m from, and these cream (and crème) liqueurs are useful tools for crafting an especially luxurious and hearty cocktail. Sometimes, they just hit the spot! That’s exactly what Brunch in a Jar did.
Buttery, with hints of maple-forward nuttiness, it’s much more complex than your garden-variety cream liqueur like Bailey’s that hits one note loudly and clearly. The real kicker here is in the drink’s buttery flavor. There’s a mild savoriness to it that helps pull everything together well, almost evoking the same sensation as salted caramel or a brownie with flaky salt sprinkled on top.
I’d definitely prefer to sip it by itself over Bailey’s, but it’s still a cream liqueur at the end of the day; the fiery burn of its alcoholic components screech in dissonance against the brunchy flavors of maple, butter, cream and unexpected savoriness. Once again, the ever-so-slight savoriness does some heavy lifting to dull that dissonance by bridging the gap between burn and creaminess, but it can’t beat the strange feeling of drinking something creamy only for it to contend with boozy burn. Even though it’s better than most other offerings you’ll find in the realm of cream liqueurs, Sippin’ Cream just isn’t my bag on its own. It’s definitely a great pick for someone who does like a cream liqueur to sip on every once in a while, but I don’t see myself going out of my way to enjoy it instead of a healthy dram of bourbon or a nice cocktail, especially around brunch time, which is spoken for by the Bloody Mary, the only brunch cocktail I’ll ever need.
But mixing cream liqueur with coffee is a tried and tested formula that can’t go wrong. Sippin’ Cream, thanks to its slightly savory, nutty flavors, makes for a more complex Irish coffee than you’d get if you used Bailey’s instead. That complexity also opens up an opportunity to add some other flavors to your Sippin’ Cream-spiked coffee. Try experimenting with ingredients you wouldn’t consider putting in your cup of Joe. I added some baking spices and cream of coconut to my coffee to bring it closer to a caffeinated Coquito-adjacent concoction than an Irish coffee. Sippin’ Cream mixes well with other flavors and spirits as well. Try out a White Russian variation but with scotch, Sippin’ Cream and some kind of nut-based Italian liqueur like Nocino or Amaretto.
Even as a cream liqueur skeptic, it’s easy to see why Eggo’s attached its branding to this bottle (or jar?). Cream liqueur tends to be one of the most frustratingly dull categories of bottles, with a pretty narrow range of flavors, generally falling into three flavors: vanilla, chocolate or “seasonal.” Other cream liqueurs get the job done, sure, but they’re rarely very interesting. Eggo’s Sippin’ Cream shakes things up, challenging the status quo and adding some needed complexity to the relatively plateaued purview of cream liqueurs.