HOME IS WHERE THE PARTY IS : 71% OF CANADIANS HOST FRIENDS & FAMILIES OVERTHE HOLIDAYS

Baileys® Original Irish Cream Liqueur Encourages Canadians to Get Home Safely After Holiday Events

TORONTO, Dec. 14 /CNW/ - This holiday season 71% of Canadians will be hosting events at home to unite family and friends, according to a new Angus Reid survey commissioned by Baileys Original Irish Cream. The survey also revealed that 77% of hosts serve their guests alcoholic drinks at their holiday events, a good reminder for people to enjoy the season responsibly.

"The holidays are the one time of year when Canadians really focus on hosting parties at home", says Karl Lohnes, design and entertaining expert. "When it comes to entertaining, there are so many trends you can incorporate to really make your party stand out - from decorating tips to festive recipes.  The most important part is being a responsible host, and making sure that everyone gets home safely." 

According to Lohnes, when hosting a holiday party, there are a few things that can be done to ensure that everyone has a great time while staying responsible:

• It is a good idea to pre-mix holiday cocktails to ensure they are delicious and perfectly prepared.
• Offer a variety of non-alcoholic beverages. Coffee, tea, water and juice are great options, and can be garnished to look extra special.
• Make sure to serve some food so that people can snack throughout the evening and slow down the absorption of alcohol. Serve hearty food like grilled meat, cheeses, sliders and gourmet pizzas, but stay away from deep-fried foods and salty snacks as they will make guests thirsty. 
• Ensure that all guests get home safely.  Make sure they take a taxi home, have a designated driver or have an extra bed prepared so they can spend the night.

"As the host, make sure you're drinking responsibly throughout the evening so you can keep an eye on all your guests, and make sure that everybody is being responsible and having a great time," says Lohnes.

This holiday season, Baileys is committed to reminding all Canadians to host and entertain responsibly. In Toronto, Baileys is offering eligable consumers who are hosting a holiday get together on December 17th and December 18th, a chance to win free transportation for their guests to get home safe, in an effort to promote responsible decision making and smart hosting. 

"A wonderful, enjoyable party is complete when everyone arrives home safely," says Iain Chalmers, VP Marketing, Diageo Canada. "We know that Baileys is often a part of entertaining friends and loved ones, and we want to make sure that people enjoy themselves over the holiday season, but do so responsibly." 

To find out more about the Baileys contest in Toronto, click here.

About Baileys Irish Cream
Baileys launched in Ireland in 1974.  It is now available in 180 markets worldwide and is the number one selling liqueur in the world.  Baileys is currently ranked 7th among all distilled spirits sold worldwide and enjoys 70 percent share of the total Irish Cream Liqueur Market around the world.  Owned by Diageo plc, Baileys contents are a blend of Irish whiskey, fresh double cream and other fine ingredients.  For more information on Baileys Original Irish Cream, please visit us at www.BAILEYS.com.

About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.  Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com.  For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

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