It’s straightforward to suppose that each one cocktails are primarily the identical. You add substances in particular portions, construct, shake, or stir, after which current the glass with a garnish.
Whereas that describes the vast majority of drinks, there’s one trick we’re lacking: the artwork of the layered cocktail.
Sure, a well-executed Martini or Negroni is nice, however there’s one thing further particular about layering a drink on your company, whether or not at house or from behind the bar.
Why Do Some Elements Layer and Others Do Not?
There might be two the reason why your drink isn’t layering the way in which you need it to. It’s both the substances or the way you’re pouring them. We’ll get into the second in a minute, however let’s begin with the kind of substances you’ll wish to be utilizing on your layers.
The key is weight.
In case your substances have the identical, or related, ranges of weight and density, then neglect about layering them. You’ll want to start out together with your heaviest ingredient on the underside, then work your means as much as the lightest.
Take a Child Guinness for example. The Irish Cream is far lighter than the espresso liqueur, so it floats on prime, making a beautiful trying drink that’s sure to impress your company.
Make Layered Drinks
Now that we all know the fundamentals of why some substances float on prime of others, let’s dive into tips on how to make them float.
Step One: Pour the First Layer
The primary layer is the simplest to get proper when layering a drink. Begin with the heaviest liquid, and ensure all of it pours immediately onto the underside of the glass—don’t let it contact the edges of the glass. This can keep away from any of the liquid mixing with the substances to return.
Step Two: Use the Again of a Spoon
The again of a spoon goes to make sure success and set your drink aside from botched makes an attempt at making layered cocktails. Gently decrease the spoon down towards the highest of your drink, resting it on the glass and ensuring it doesn’t contact the layer of liquid beneath. Slowly pour the subsequent heaviest liquid over the again of the spoon in order that it settles onto the primary layer.
So long as you do that gently and slowly, the drink ought to layer properly. You would possibly want to present every layer somewhat little bit of time to separate earlier than repeating this step for every layer of your drink.
Step Three: the Last Layer
In case you have a drink with greater than three layers, repeat step two till you attain your ultimate ingredient. The final layer is normally probably the most troublesome to handle, merely since you received’t have a lot (if any) room to relaxation the spoon in opposition to the within of the glass.
You may angle the spoon upwards barely to present the liquid a bit more room to land within the drink and keep away from it being combined in with the earlier layers.
And that’s it, that’s tips on how to layer drinks. It’s a reasonably simple methodology, however it could take a number of tries to get it proper, so don’t fear in case your drink isn’t layered completely the primary day out.
The Greatest Layered Cocktails
The layering approach is usually employed for shooters, however the approach can be utilized for full-size cocktails, too. Beneath are a number of layered pictures and drinks to attempt making for your self.
Child Guinness
As talked about earlier, a Child Guinness doesn’t really include any of the well-known Irish stout, however the float on prime makes it appear like a tiny glass of Eire’s greatest pint. This can be a easy recipe made by floating Irish cream corresponding to Bailey’s atop a espresso liqueur, normally Tia Maria, in a small shot glass.
B-52
The B-52 recipe additionally requires espresso liqueur and Irish cream, however this time you’re including a layer of orange liqueur—normally Grand Mariner—on prime. Layer in that order to make a show-stopping shot.
Irish Espresso
The Irish Espresso is among the most ubiquitous layered drinks. It combines Irish whiskey, black espresso and sugar, combined collectively in a heated mug. To provide it that traditional layered look, gently float a pair tablespoons of heavy cream on prime.
Mai Tai
The Mai Tai is an iconic Tiki drink that proves all types of cocktails could be layered, not simply shooters. Rum, orange curaçao, recent lime juice, and orgeat syrup are shaked and strained right into a glass over ice. At this level, the substances have turn into heavy sufficient to help one other layer, so if you wish to add an non-obligatory shot of darkish rum on prime, gently float it excessive of the drink for that traditional Mai Tai aesthetic.
There you will have it: a number of easy methods to make layered drinks and pictures, both at house or on the bar, to take your bartending expertise to the subsequent stage.
Scott Marshall is an skilled bartender based mostly in England and one of many lead writers at MixologyU.com.
