Not quite so popular these days, this style of cocktail demands a steady hand to layer the ingredients, starting with the densest and ending with the least dense, to create the drink's snazzy colored stripes. The pousse-café glass is a specific vessel, but try it in a champagne flute or another glass you have to hand before you invest in extra equipment.
This technique creates layers of ingredients of different colors, resulting in a striped effect. It is generally used for dessert-style drinks served in a large shot or pousse-café glass.
Layering makes use of the different weights or densities of liquids and it helps to chill the ingredients first. Liqueurs tend to be heavier than spirits, although the latter often have similar densities. Pour the ingredients into the glass in order of weight, starting with the heaviest; the required order will be made clear in the recipe itself. Add each subsequent layer, pouring very slowly over the rounded back of a barspoon, touching the side of the glass so that the liquid trickles down and settles over the top layer rather than heading to the bottom of the drink. The goal is to pour the different liquids so gently that the surface tension of the previous one remains intact, thereby preventing any mixing, so you need a steady hand, and practice.
When layering in a small glass, use a barspoon with a muddler at the end, and pour down the spiral shaft until the liquid hits the base of the muddler.
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How to Make Layered Cocktails and Drink the Rainbow
Go slow and steady—and keep practicing.
