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How to float a drink
Layering a drink is the third oldest drink preparation technique, and it was most popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s, especially in Europe, where bartenders concocted “pousse-cafes”: beautiful drinks composed of layer upon layer of liquor, liqueur, and syrup.
These drinks have died out, however, and layered drinks exist now because they were rejuvenated in the 1960s and 1970s by the “shooter” drinking fashion. Many of the popular shooters like the B52 and the Brain Hemorrhage are layered.
Layering is also referred to as "floating" and works like this: the ingredients are poured into a shot glass one at a time in the order listed. They are carefully poured over a bar spoon so as to keep the layers separate. Heaviest gravity first followed by lighter ones (see Drinks gravity Chart below).The layers remain separate because of the difference in density and sugar content. The drink can be poured to within 2 mm of the top of the glass.
As a technique, layering only affects the drink in so far as you taste the different layers in order.
Drinks gravity chart
The following lists the gravities of several popular alcohols listed from heaviest to lightest. As a rule the greater the difference in gravities, the easier it is to keep two alcohols from mixing.
Remember: Heaviest first, as the lighter alcohol will float on the heavier one.| Name | Gravity |
| Grenadine | 1.18 |
| Crème de Cassis | 1.18 |
| Anisette | 1.175 |
| Crème de Almond | 1.16 |
| Crème de Noyaux | 1.165 |
Coffee liqueur |
1.14 |
| Coffee Liquor Parfait d'Amour |
1.13 |
| Cherry liqueur Green Crème de Menthe Strawberry liqueur White Crème de Menthe |
1.12 |
| Blue Curacao Galliano |
1.11 |
| Amaretto Blackberry Liquor Blue Curacao |
1.1 |
| Apricot Liquor Tia Maria Triple sec |
1.09 |
| Amaretto di Saranno Drambuie Frangelico Orange Curacao |
1.08 |
| Benedictine D.O.M. | 1.07 |
| Campari Apricot brandy Blackberry brandy Cherry brandy Peach brandy Yellow Chartreuse |
1.06 |
| Midori Melon Liquor Rock and Rye |
1.05 |
| Benedictine Brandy Cherry Liquor Cointreau Kummel Peach liqueur Peppermint schnapps Sloe gin |
1.04 |
| Green Chartreuse | 1.01 |
| Water | 1 |
| Tuaca | 0.98 |
| Southern Comfort | 0.97 |
barTIP
Layered shots work even better when the ingredients and glasses are chilled.
Layer your first drink
B52Probably no shooter is better known than this brown bombshell. In a shooter glass, layer the following ingredients carefully, in the listed order:
- 0.5 oz. Coffee liqueur
- 0.5 oz. Irish Cream
- 0.5 oz. Triple Sec
If you are feeling venturous, light the top layer at the very last minute and serve it flaming.
