The Old-School French Cocktail People Loved To Drink After Dinner

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There was a time when post-dinner drinks were ruled by pretty, layered cocktails served in dainty glasses. They were on bar and dinner menus everywhere from the 1800s to the 1950s, a whole collection of drinks known as pousse café cocktails. They originated in France, inspired by a pre-existing French tradition — after-dinner cocktails known as chasse café, translated from French as "coffee chaser." These cocktails were digestifs with multiple liquors and liqueurs in a small glass, taken like a modern-day shot, and served alongside coffee. Pousse café cocktails serve the same purpose, but the liqueurs are layered instead of mixed together, and they are meant to be sipped.

What sets pousse café cocktails apart are layers of liqueurs, usually three to six of them, that float one on top of the other, forming perfect lines of color in the glass. The taste does not change with each layer. There can be different moments of flavor, but the overall taste of the drink is influenced by each of the liqueurs. They're striking enough to be a great addition to your next dinner party, and they're easy to make — once you understand liquor and liqueur densities and how to use them to make a drink that seems to defy gravity.

Every bartender learns how to pour layered shots, and it's that technique that unlocks the perfect pousse café. It begins with an understanding of alcohol density, which is influenced by sugar content. Higher density liquors and liqueurs have a higher sugar content and sink to the bottom of the glass. Lighter density liquors with lower sugar float. Usually, the sweeter the liquor or liqueur, the denser it will be, while harder alcohol like vodka or rum will float. If you really want to dive into crafting the absolute best layered cocktail, study alcohol density charts to learn the exact densities of your favorite alcohols. Consider flavors and colors and choose a few to stack in a glass.

If you want to make one of the most popular pousse café cocktails, you should grab six different alcohols when you curate your next bar cart restock: grenadine, yellow chartreuse, crème de cassis, white crème de menthe, green chartreuse, and brandy. Chill all of the booze and then, in the order we listed, pour each of these liquors and liqueurs into the glass slowly over the back of a bar spoon. The effect is layering of red, yellow, purple, white, and green, with flavors that range from fruity to herbal and minty, topped with brandy. Serve in cordial glasses or large shot glasses for a classic pousse café look.