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Pousse Cafe
Lots of layered liqueur

Q:Does anyone at cocktail.com recall the name of a multi-layer drink, either five or seven layers, composed of liqueurs of different colors and specific gravities, poured carefully to preserve the multiple layers and colors? And a recipe? Thanks.

-- J. Fisher

A:Layered cocktails separate the men from the boys in the mixology profession. It is a steady hand, simple physics and luck that makes these potent potions pure art.

The name is French, pronounced poos ka-FAY, which means push the coffee. However, this drink style originated in New Orleans during the late 19th Century.

Don't expect to get it right the first time. But then, that's half the fun of creating a pousse cafe: drinking your mistakes. Note, too, that many of these beverages look a lot better than they taste. Perhaps you are sacrificing flavor for flair, but that's a completely subjective for you to make.

I hope you paid attention during physics because the pousse cafe is half science, half skill. Heavy ingredients on the bottom, light ingredients on top. Follow the directions very carefully. Oh, and one other thing -- don't go looking for a government grant to study pousse mixology. The taxpayers wouldn't go for it (we'd surely support it at cocktail.com, though).

Take a look at our Key to Specific Gravity for a list of your favorite spirits according to weight and color.

Here are a few tips:

Use a small diameter glass. It's easier.

Slowly pour alcohol along long stemmed cocktail spoon or stirrer. Be sure it is touching side of glass.

As a rule, ingredients with higher alcohol percentage are lighter, but always follow directions exactly or use a density guide.

Pousse cafes can be prepared in advance and kept for up to one hour when refrigerated.

Remember density guides are not perfect, because density will vary from brand to brand. Use the same brand of alcohol to ensure consistent results.

Cheers!
Miss Cocktail