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A disturbing trend of late among cocktailsand some of the folks who prepare themis taking them entirely too seriously. Artisanal ingredients and rare spirits can be great additions to a properly made drink, but mixologists who spend a half hour describing them (or showing off skills like the 'French roll” shaking style) can be a real buzz kill.
Cocktails are supposed to be fun, and it doesn't hurt if they're pretty to look at too. That's where the revival of the pousse-café might just be the development that puts the spirit back into spirits. What's a pousse-café, you might ask? The simplest definition is that it's a layered cocktail, often served in a shot or cordial glass, where the ingredients are carefully poured in order of their specific gravity and viscosity to ensure that each layer lies neatly on top of the one below it.
If you've ever had a black and tan (stout beer and lager) or a Tequila Sunrise, where the red grenadine syrup settles to the bottom of a glass, then you've had a version of a pousse-café. Other pousse-café concoctions have enjoyed periods of popularity, usually as kitschy shots that can accelerate the party atmosphere. Remember the B-52 or the Slippery Nipple? If not, that just means you were having way too much fun.
At Embers Ski Lodge, they're all about having fun, so it's no surprise that the bar staff there is enthusiastic about producing quirky and beautiful drinks. Creative beverage program director Gary Hayward doesn't allow his team of bartenders to spend too much time on each drink, preferring to focus on the customers instead of showing off their shaker skills. Together with new bartender Ryan Yamada, a recent transplant from New Orleans, Hayward has come up with a few fun pousse-café recipes that aren't on the regular menu but can be happily whipped up on request.
You can craft your own pousse-cafés at home, although the task requires a steady hand as you carefully pour layers of individual liqueurs, spirits, and fruit juices slowly over the back of a spoon into the glass to create a lovely rainbow of flavors. The good news is that even if you mess up, the cleanup will still be delicious.
Rocky Mountain Rainbow
Courtesy of Gary Hayward
1 oz. melon liqueur
Splash of sweet and sour mix
Splash of grenadine
1 oz. Bacardi 151
1 oz. blue curaçao liqueur
Shake melon liqueur and sweet and sour mix over ice and pour mixture into a cocktail glass. Sink a small amount of grenadine to the bottom. Shake Bacardi 151 and blue curaçao over ice and carefully layer this mixture on top. Stick a straw down to the red bottom layer and drink the entire thing in one sip.
The Jellyfish
Courtesy of Ryan Yamada
½ oz. crème de cacao (white)
½ oz. amaretto
½ oz. Irish cream
3 drops of grenadine
In a shot glass, pour in a layer the crème de cacao, followed by the amaretto, and finally the Irish cream. Add 3 drops of grenadine directly to the center of the shot.
Old Glory
Courtesy of Ryan Yamada
½ oz. grenadine
½ oz. peach schnapps
½ oz. blue curaçao liqueur
In a shot or cordial glass, over the back of a bar spoon, pour in layers the grenadine, followed by the schnapps, and finally the blue curaçao. Salute before drinking.