SEPTEMBER 2008 | SanTÉ

distillations

By Kyle Branche

Layered

he inspiration or creating layered drinks came to me in thelate 1980s. Ater years o bartending and getting to know all theproducts available or the bar, I wanted to start creating someo my own signature drinks. As I trekked my way through many avorideas and ingredient combinations in a wide range o drink categories,I discovered the magic o multilayered drinks. Seeing liqueurs oat ontop o each other or sink below others, orming distinct colorul bands, I was mesmerized. But I also began to understand the physics behind theart and to appreciate these special old spirits. I imagined that resourceulbartenders or mixologists would enjoy a similar experience as they experiment at crating these multisensory marvels.

Liqueurs Show Off Their Stripes

p h o t o g r a p h b y m a x w a n g e r

drinks:

I made many layered drinksduring my nightclub days,and I still love to preparethem today whenever I get the chance.Customers love watching these drinksbeing prepared on the bartop (hopeullyunder a avorable light that highlightseach band as the cocktail is built). Aterthe nishing touches are added, thedrinks become a visual and palate-pleasing work o art.To layer a drink, pour the densestingredient into the appropriate glass(shot, martini, pony, tulip, sniter,or pousse glass) rst. Pour eachsubsequent liqueur very slowly over theback o a bar spoon or a maraschinocherry held just above the previous layeror set against the inside o the glass, sothat the liquid cascades gently downon top. I’ve ound that i liqueurs arechilled prior to layering, they can createa stronger and longer-lasting separationand also may be more appealing to thepalate.

(Go to the “Blade Runner” video segment on isantemagazine.com.)

Avalanche

Hiram Walker Spearmint SchnappsBaileys Irish CreamJägermeister

Blade Runner

Trader Vic’s GrenadineDeKuyper Peachtree SchnappsBols Blue CuraçaoGrand MarnierBlue Ice Vodka (chilled)

Perect Lover

Marie Brizard Parait AmourKamasutra Ginseng CoconutDamiana Liqueur

Bonfre

Rose’s GrenadineDisaronno AmarettoBacardi 151 rum(light on re, then blow out)

Champagne Supernova

Angostura GrenadineLeroux Blue CuraçaoMarie Brizard Parait AmourMidori Melon LiqueurDeKuyper Blueberry SchnappsDeKuyper Apple Barrel SchnappsChampagne (chilled)

p h o t o g r a p h s b y g r e g n e s b i t

“

For creating drinks usingthe recipes at right, chooseyour glass (which willdetermine your drink size),and carefully pour theingredients in the orderlisted using the techniquerecommended.

SEPTEMBER 2008 | SanTÉ

are chilled prior to layering, they will create a stronger andlonger-lasting separation, as well as being more appealingto the palate.My creations have included the three-layer Perect Lover,the our-layer Batmobile, the fve-layer Blade Runner, andthe six-layer Horizontal Departure, as well as ChampagneSupernova, Bad Medicine, Leopard Skin, and ConsiderMe Gone. Most o these libations all into a bar-specialty category I call the “multilayered super shooter.” They arebuilt in a chilled martini glass and designed or two toour people to straw-shoot together. The imbibers watch asthe bottom layer disappears into the straw ollowed by theothers, until the drink is gone. The last layer is usually thekicker, lightest in weight and last to hit the palate.

Pricing and Promotion

Initially, consider pricing all layered drinks in a range that fts well with the rest o your current pricing or high-endspirits or nonlayered specialty drinks on the bar menu. Youcan price larger shared martini super shooters a couple o dollars higher because they oten require more prep timeand they are “special entertainment” drinks.Management and sta should view the multilayereddrinks made with legendary liqueurs as ater-dinner liquiddesserts or customers who may be a little too ull romthe main meal to consume a ood dessert. Pousse-caés with coee or tea ater a meal provide a wonderul closingto the dining experience. Since the proft margins o apousse drink and a dessert ood could be very similar oridentical, your servers can take out a sniter/pousse tray as

A Matter of

gravity

To measure a spirit’s or liqueur’s specic gravity, you’llneed a tool called a hydrometer, a sealed, graduated tube,weighted at one end, that sinks a certain depth into the fuidto be measured. The graduations allow or the measuremento the fuid’s specic gravity. The instrument can be ound atmany scientic supply outlets. You will need a hydrometerthat is calibrated between 1.00 and 1.22, and you will alsoneed a 250 mL graduated cylinder to hold the fuid. Thesetools are airly inexpensive, but they are made out o glassand are delicate.The higher the number in specic gravity, the thicker theliqueur is.

Gravity

viscosity

, and

density

are all terms used todescribe the weight or thickness levels o these liquid spirits.

(Go to “Liqueur Gravity File” and the “Hydrometry” video segment on isantemagazine.com.)

Post-Coffee Pleasure

The original category name or a layered drink is

pousse-café

(Frenchor “ater coee”). The classic concoctions usually consisted o threelayers o liqueurs, and the typical glass held no more than 2 ounces.The pousse-caé was usually sipped on the side or, as the nameimplies, enjoyed ater coee as a spirited liquid orm o dessert.Pousse-caés are made by pouring liquids in order o density,rom heavy to light, so that they remain in distinct bands within theglass. There’s a rule o thumb to always keep in mind: the moresugar content in a given liqueur, the heavier it tends to be. Themore alcohol content in a given liqueur, the lighter in weight it is. Another way to view this is the lower the proo, the thicker theliqueur; the higher the proo, the thinner the liqueur. Densities o liqueurs will also vary slightly rom one brand to another.The layered eect o the pousse-caé was created by very careully drizzling the densest liqueur over a small spoon or maraschinocherry into the small glass frst; the second most dense liqueurollowed, and so on, with the least dense liqueur on top. I liqueurs

Kyle Branche uses ahydrometer to measure thespecific gravity of a spirit.