homemade father’s day gift

A photo of Homemade (better than Bailey’s) Irish Cream recipe packaged in personalized bottles for Father’s Day.

Father’s Day is Sunday!  Do you need an idea for a special homemade gift?  I have an easy and delicious gift you can make.  Homemade Irish Cream!  Packaged in a personal way, I think it makes the perfect gift for your special guy.

In my opinion, this homemade version  tastes better than the popular brand you purchase in the liquor store.  I suspect that is because it uses fresh dairy, rather than the substitute that must be required to ensure a long shelf life for the ‘real’ stuff.

First,  get yourself some bottles – these can be repurposed or purchased.  I found the ones pictured here at the store Homegoods…two I bought empty and one was filled with Italian soda;  but was priced the same as the empty ones.  You may already have something you can use at home…check your cabinets and refrigerator for possibilities, use an old canning jar, or check out the home and craft stores.

To make the gift personal, I selected some old, favorite photographs  to create labels for the front of the bottles.  I love old black and white photos,  and I chose three favorites of my dad and I together to print onto a sheet of labels.  If you only have color photos; no worries.  You can easily turn your color photos into nostalgic looking black and white or sepia prints using your computer or photo software.  (If you don’t know how to do this, send me a message.  Better yet, ask your children…they are certain to know how to accomplish this.)

I simply printed the photos on a sheet of regular office shipping labels – nothing fancy.  And, because they were black and white, a color printer was not required.  I trimmed the labels and affixed them onto the bottles.  Then, I finished with some ribbon scraps tied onto the necks of the bottles.  Of course, I had to tie a sand dollar to the neck of one of the bottles.   Do you see the one that says ‘I love you?’  I used a piece of scrapbooking paper I bought for 10 cents (this paper is sold by the sheet in any craft store) and used it as a backing for one of the photos; cutting it slightly larger than the size of the photo to create a frame around it.

A photo of homemade Irish Cream in personalized bottles.

Homemade Irish Cream Recipe

3 eggs

1 cup rye whiskey

2 Tablespoons chocolate syrup

2 – 3 teaspoons vanilla

1 pint half & half

1  14oz. can sweetened condensed milk

Blend eggs for 3 minutes.  Add all other ingredients.  Blend 2 minutes more.  Keep refrigerated .  Will keep as long as the expiration date on the half & half…if it lasts that long. 

Use a funnel to fill the bottles .  Your Homemade Irish Cream is ready for giving!  (Or, if your Dad is more the bourbon guy, you might want to try making him one of these:  Bobby Flay’s Vanilla Bean Bourbon Milkshake)

Try pouring a little in your Dad’s brunch time coffee ;)  Remember to save some for yourself!