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Part I: The Basics.
Chapter 1: Just for Openers: The Right Tools and Glasses.
Chapter 2: Methods to the Madness.
Chapter 3: Setting Up Your Home Bar.
Chapter 4: Charts and Measures.
Part II: Short Shots from American Whiskey to Wine.
Chapter 5: American and Canadian Whisk(e)y.
Chapter 6: Aperitifs, Cordials, and Liqueurs.
Chapter 7: Beer.
Chapter 8: Brandy.
Chapter 9: Cognac and Armagnac.
Chapter 10: Gin.
Chapter 11: Irish Whiskey.
Chapter 12: Rum.
Chapter 13: Scotch Whisky.
Chapter 14: Tequila and Mezcal.
Chapter 15: Vodka.
Chapter 16: Wine.
Part III: The Recipes.
Chapter 17: Recipes from A to Z.
Chapter 18: "Martini" Madness.
Chapter 19: Drinks for Special Occasions.
Chapter 20: Nonalcoholic Drinks.
Part IV: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 21: Ten Drinks to Try and Ten Drinks to Let Someone Else Try.
Chapter 22: At Least Ten Cures and Lores.
Recipes Index.
Topics Index.
In This Chapter
Pousse-Cafés are layered speciality drinks that first became popular with bartenders in New Orleans in the 1840s and became a fad throughout the United States in the early 1900s. Pousse-Café is French for push down the coffee. Pouring this sort of drink is a true test for bartenders (so if you ask a bartender to make one for you, be sure to tip him or her well).
To produce a nicely layered drink, you need a steady hand, a spoon, and some knowledge of the specific gravities of cordials, syrups, brandies, and other spirits. Basically, you have to carefully pour "lighter" liquids on top of "heavier" liquids in order for them to stay separate. The result is a colorful rainbow effect.
Easier said than done. You can help your effort immensely if you pour the liquids that you're layering over the back of a spoon. The spoon breaks the fall of the liquids, enabling them to layer more easily.
If you get everything right, the drink will amaze your friends and win you influence. If you plan to serve Pousse-Cafés at a party, you can avoid performance anxiety and the accompanying shaky hands by making your Pousse-Cafés ahead of time. They will keep for at least an hour in the refrigerator.
Table 22-1, from Hiram Walker Cordials, lists the specific gravity index of its various liqueurs, syrups, and so on. (If you use other brands, the specific gravities may vary.)
Table 22-2 lists a layering order based on my own experience, testing, and tasting.
For best results, layer ingredients that have a ranking at least four spaces apart on the chart. It's unlikely that Crème de Cacao (6) will float on Praline (5), but Blue Curaçao (12) certainly will.
|
Table 22-1 |
Hiram Walker Pousse-Café Specific Gravity Index | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
No. |
Proof | Product | Specific Gravity | Color | |||||||
|
1 |
40 | Crème de Cassis | 1.1833 | Light brown | |||||||
|
2 |
25 | Grenadine | 1.1720 | Red | |||||||
|
3 |
54 | Crème de Cacao, Brown | 1.1561 | Brown | |||||||
|
4 |
48 | Hazelnut Schnapps | 1.1532 | Tawny | |||||||
|
5 |
40 | Praline | 1.1514 | Brown | |||||||
|
6 |
54 | Crème de Cacao, White | 1.1434 | White | |||||||
|
7 |
56 | Crème de Noyaux | 1.1342 | Red | |||||||
|
8 |
48 | Licorice Schnapps | 1.1300 | Clear | |||||||
|
9 |
54 | Chocolate Cherry | 1.1247 | Brown | |||||||
|
10 |
56 | Crème de Banana | 1.1233 | Yellow | |||||||
|
11 |
54 | Chocolate Mint | 1.1230 | Brown | |||||||
|
12 |
48 | Blue Curaçao | 1.1215 | Blue | |||||||
|
13 |
54 | Swiss Chocolate Almond | 1.1181 | Brown | |||||||
|
14 |
60 | Crème de Menthe, White | 1.1088 | Clear | |||||||
|
15 |
60 | Crème de Menthe, Green | 1.1088 | Green | |||||||
|
16 |
60 | Orange Curaçao | 1.1086 | Tawny | |||||||
|
17 |
60 | Anisette, White and Red | 1.0987 | White/Red | |||||||
|
18 |
48 | Crème de Strawberry | 1.0968 | Red | |||||||
|
19 |
48 | Wild Strawberry Schnapps | 1.0966 | Clear | |||||||
|
20 |
48 | Red Hot Schnapps | 1.0927 | Red | |||||||
|
21 |
60 | Triple Sec | 1.0922 | White | |||||||
|
22 |
60 | Rock & Rye | 1.0887 | Yellow | |||||||
|
23 |
40 | Cranberry Cordial | 1.0872 | Red | |||||||
|
24 |
50 | Amaretto | 1.0842 | Tawny | |||||||
|
25 |
48 | Old Fashioned Root Beer Schnapps | 1.0828 | Tawny | |||||||
|
26 |
84 | Sambuca | 1.0813 | White | |||||||
|
27 |
40 | Country Melon Schnapps | 1.0796 | Pink | |||||||
|
28 |
70 | Coffee-Flavored Brandy | 1.0794 | Brown | |||||||
|
29 |
48 | Red Raspberry Schnapps | 1.0752 | Clear | |||||||
|
30 |
48 | Snappy Apricot Schnapps | 1.0733 | Tawny | |||||||
|
31 |
48 | Cinnamon Schnapps | 1.0732 | Red | |||||||
|
32 |
48 | Spearmint Schnapps | 1.0727 | Clear | |||||||
|
33 |
60 | Shamrock Schnapps | 1.0617 | Green | |||||||
|
34 |
60 | Peppermint Schnapps | 1.0615 | Clear | |||||||
|
35 |
48 | Jubilee Peach Schnapps | 1.0595 | Clear | |||||||
|
36 |
70 | Raspberry-Flavored Brandy | 1.0566 | Red | |||||||
|
37 |
70 | Apricot-Flavored Brandy | 1.0548 | Tawny | |||||||
|
38 |
70 | Peach-Flavored Brandy | 1.0547 | Tawny | |||||||
|
39 |
70 | Cherry-Flavored Brandy | 1.0542 | Red | |||||||
|
40 |
70 | Blackberry-Flavored Brandy | 1.0536 | Purple | |||||||
|
41 |
90 | Peach Schnapps | 1.0534 | Clear | |||||||
|
42 |
90 | Root Beer Schnapps | 1.0441 | Brown | |||||||
|
43 |
50 | Amaretto and Cognac | 1.0394 | Tawny | |||||||
|
44 |
90 | Cinnamon Spice Schnapps | 1.0358 | Reddish | |||||||
|
45 |
90 | Peppermint Schnapps | 1.0340 | Clear | |||||||
|
46 |
60 | Sloe Gin | 1.0241 | Red | |||||||
|
47 |
70 | Ginger-Flavored Brandy | 0.9979 | Light brown | |||||||
|
48 |
90 | Kirschwasser | 0.9410 | Clear | |||||||
|
Table 22-2 |
The Foley-Cowan-Zazzali Layering Guide | |
|---|---|---|
|
No. |
Product | Color |
|
1 |
Crème de Cassis | Red |
|
2 |
Crème de Cacao, Brown | Brown |
|
3 |
Kahlua | Brown |
|
4 |
Peach Schnapps | Clear |
|
5 |
Crème de Banana | Yellow |
|
6 |
Anisette | Clear |
|
7 |
Crème de Menthe, Green | Green |
|
8 |
Crème de Menthe, White | Clear |
|
9 |
Melon | Green |
|
10 |
Tia Maria | Brown |
|
11 |
Cherry Brandy | Red |
|
12 |
Apricot Brandy | Gold |
|
13 |
Sambuca | Clear |
|
14 |
Galliano | Yellow |
|
15 |
Amaretto | Tawny |
|
16 |
Drambuie | Gold |
|
17 |
Benedictine | Gold |
|
18 |
Peppermint Schnapps | Clear |
|
19 |
Frangelico | Gold |
|
20 |
Spearmint Schnapps | Clear |
|
21 |
Baileys Irish Cream | Cream |
|
22 |
Irish Mist | Gold |
|
23 |
Cointreau | Clear |
|
24 |
Grand Marnier | Gold |
|
25 |
Malibu Rum | Clear |
|
26 |
Sloe Gin | Red |
|
27 |
B & B | Gold |
|
28 |
Southern Comfort | Gold |
|
29 |
Chartreuse | Green |
|
30 |
Ouzo | Clear |
|
31 |
Pernod | Yellow |
You'll find all of the following Pousse-Café recipes in the recipes section (Chapter 18) of this book.
Anonymous
Posted April 22, 2001
This book is a must for anyone who has a bar in their home....it definately makes things much easier and we have enjoyed it trememdously.
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Posted June 18, 2012
Easy to read, very informative, lots of drink recipes! I definitely recommend getting this book.
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Posted June 3, 2012
Everything in this book is good. Just dont expect to be able to view the "A-Z drink recipies"... force closes every time. In the longrun I would value this at $4.99 instead of the $9.49 I paid for it. Disappointing since its the 2nd book ive bought on Nook.
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