Pousse Cafe is a visually stunning layered cocktail built from six different liqueurs stacked by specific gravity to create distinct color bands. Success depends entirely on pouring order and steady technique to prevent the layers from mixing.
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Pour carefully, in order given, into pousse-cafe glass so that each ingredient floats on preceding one.
(For other Pousse Cafe recipes, see Index on page 263.)
Pousse Cafe is a cocktail meant to be consumed immediately after preparation; layering degrades within 30 minutes.
bar spoon or long-handled spoon · pousse cafe glass or narrow shot glass · jigger for precise measurement
Pour in this exact order by density: Grenadine (heaviest), Yellow Chartreuse, Crème de Cassis, Crème de Menthe, Green Chartreuse, then Five Star Brandy (lightest) on top.
Pour too quickly or splash the liqueur onto the previous layer. Use a bar spoon or the back of a spoon held just above the surface and pour very slowly down the spoon to break the fall.
Yes, but layers will gradually blend over time. Prepare it no more than 30 minutes before serving for best visual definition.
Use a pousse cafe glass (tall, narrow 2-3 oz cordial glass) or a small shot glass. The narrow shape helps maintain layer separation.
Pousse Cafe (French for 'push coffee') is a 19th-century classic that showcases the bartender's skill and the beauty of liqueur colors in a single drink.
