New Vegan Baileys Alternative to Debut This Year

Vegan brand Besos will debut two alcoholic beverages, Besos de Oro and Besos de Chocolate, in the United States this year. United Kingdom-based entrepreneur Peter Smith developed the alcoholic beverage—which he said is akin to Baileys Irish Cream—during a trip to Spain five years ago. To appease his ill wife Penelope’s craving for an alcoholic beverage, Smith combined brandy with popular Spanish drink horchata made with plant-based milk derived from tiger nuts (a root commonly grown and consumed in Spain). The entrepreneur bottled the beverage—and developed a chocolate-infused version—of which he sold 1,800 bottles in the first year. Smith is currently negotiating a distribution deal with UK supermarket chain Sainsbury’s and looking to expand his Spanish production facility to meet anticipated demand. The company—which also sells vegan chocolate and tiger nut-based milk alternatives—plans to launch its vegan liquor in Berlin by Christmas and in other countries within four years. “By 2020, I see my drinks being on every shelf that Baileys is on,” Smith said. “Everyone will recognize the Besos brand. Yes, it will be vegan-friendly, but more importantly it will be synonymous with high quality and a delicious taste.” Last year, liquor brand Baileys debuted Almande Almondmilk Liqueur, an almond milk-based beverage that was reformulated to be vegan-friendly after its initial release in 2016 (at which time it contained traces of beeswax).