A layered drink is a kind of cocktail

Cocktail

A cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...

 in which the slightly different densities of various liqueurs are used to create an array of colored layers. Anywhere from three to seven layers are customary. Layered drinks must be prepared such that the specific gravity

Specific gravity

Specific gravity is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a reference substance. Apparent specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a volume of the substance to the weight of an equal volume of the reference substance. The reference substance is nearly always water for...

 of the liquid ingredients increases from top to bottom. Liqueurs with the most dissolved sugar and the least alcohol are densest and are put at the bottom. These include fruit juices and cream liqueurs. Those with the least water and the most alcohol, such as rum with 75% alcohol by volume, are floated on top.

These drinks are made primarily for visual enjoyments rather than for their taste. They are sipped, sometimes through a silver straw, one liqueur at a time. The drink must be made and handled carefully to avoid mixing; however, some layered drinks, such as shooters, are generally drunk quickly.

Preparation

The layers must be poured very gently to avoid mixing. They can be poured over the back of a spoon or down a glass rod.

Examples of layered drinks

• Pousse Cafe
  Pousse cafe
  A pousse-café is a style of layered drink prepared by gently adding each ingredient from densest to least dense in order to create colored stripes when the drink is viewed from the side. Some bartender guides list a drink containing, from bottom to top, grenadine, yellow chartreuse and green...
  
  
• B-52
  B-52 (cocktail)
  The B-52 is a layered shot composed of a coffee liqueur , an Irish Cream , and an orange cognac . When prepared properly, the ingredients separate into three distinctly visible layers...
  
  
• Oatmeal Cookie
  Oatmeal Cookie (Cocktail)
  An Oatmeal Cookie is an alcoholic drink named for its taste, which is reportedly similar to an oatmeal cookie. It can be served both layered and mixed, depending on the taste of the bartender...
  
  
• Angel's Kiss
• Angel's Tit
• Slippery Nipple
• Nuclear Rainbow

See also

• Mixed drink shooters and drink shots
• List of cocktails
• Flaming beverage
  Flaming beverage
  Flaming beverages include cocktails and other mixed drinks that contain a small amount of flammable high-proof alcohol, which is ignited prior to consumption. The flames are decorative and do not change the flavor of the drinks noticeably. Flaming cocktails are more spectacular in dimly lit...