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
Crème de Banana
1.14
Crème de Cacao
White Crème de Cacao

Coffee Liquor
1.13
Parfait d'Amour

Cherry liqueur
Green Crème de Menthe
1.12
Strawberry liqueur
White Crème de Menthe

Blue Curacao
1.11
Galliano

Amaretto
Blackberry Liquor 1.1
Blue Curacao

Apricot Liquor
Tia Maria 1.09
Triple sec

Amaretto di Saranno
Drambuie
1.08
Frangelico
Orange Curacao

Benedictine D.O.M. 1.07

Campari
Apricot brandy
Blackberry brandy
1.06
Cherry brandy
Peach brandy
Yellow Chartreuse

Midori Melon Liquor

1.05
Rock and Rye

Benedictine 1.04
Brandy
Cherry Liquor
Cointreau
Kummel
Peach liqueur
Peppermint schnapps
Sloe gin

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

B52

Probably 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.