Cocktails with Double cream/heavy cream
Double cream (UK) or heavy cream (US) is the richest liquid dairy cream, at least 36% milkfat in the US or 48% in the UK.
Substitutes for Double cream/heavy cream
Fat is the only variable that matters: below about 30% fat nothing whips at all; above it most creams will, though a UHT carton often refuses and a warm one never does. Diluting down is easy; there is no way to dilute up.
Often confused with
Whipping cream
30 to 36% fat: it whips, less stiffly, and enriches less. Shops use the names loosely, so trust the percentage and not the word on the front.
Single or pouring cream
Under 30%, so it will not whip at all. It enriches a hot drink and cannot cap one.
Storage
Refrigerated, sealed, by the date, away from strong smells, and never at the back of a warm station. Cream close to its date whips faster and splits faster, which helps a cap and ruins a shaken drink.
