Glassware

Pousse-Café Glass

A pousse-café glass is a small, narrow glass on a short stem, about 60 to 90ml by our guidance, made for drinks built in layers. Its slim, near-straight bowl keeps each band of liqueur level and easy to see. Layered drinks such as the B-52 suit it as well as they suit a shot glass.

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The tool

About the Pousse-Café Glass

A Slim Glass for Drinks in Bands

The bowl is narrow and almost straight-sided, set on a short stem. A narrow column makes each band of liqueur deeper for the same volume, so a 15ml layer shows as a clear stripe rather than a thin line.

The stem keeps a hand off the drink. Layers hold their lines when cold, and a warm palm round the bowl works against that.

Density Decides the Order

A liqueur gets denser with more sugar and lighter with more alcohol. The densest goes in first and the lightest last, and each one floats on the layer beneath it.

In our B-52 the order is coffee liqueur, Irish cream, then Grand Marnier. The Slippery Nipple floats Irish cream on sambuca, and the Baby Guinness puts a thin head of Irish cream on coffee liqueur.

Two bottles of the same style can differ. If a layer sinks, test the pair in a spare glass before rebuilding the whole drink.

Layered drinks in our recipes (the glass size is our guidance)

B-52

Layers, bottom to top: 15ml coffee liqueur, 15ml Irish cream, 15ml Grand Marnier
Total: 45ml
In a 60 to 90ml pousse-café glass: Fits, with room at the top

Slippery Nipple

Layers, bottom to top: 25ml sambuca, 25ml Irish cream
Total: 50ml
In a 60 to 90ml pousse-café glass: Fits, with room at the top

Baby Guinness

Layers, bottom to top: 30ml coffee liqueur, 10ml Irish cream
Total: 40ml
In a 60 to 90ml pousse-café glass: Fits easily

Drink	Layers, bottom to top	Total	In a 60 to 90ml pousse-café glass
B-52	15ml coffee liqueur, 15ml Irish cream, 15ml Grand Marnier	45ml	Fits, with room at the top
Slippery Nipple	25ml sambuca, 25ml Irish cream	50ml	Fits, with room at the top
Baby Guinness	30ml coffee liqueur, 10ml Irish cream	40ml	Fits easily

Pour onto a Spoon, Slowly

Pour the first layer straight in. For each layer after it, turn a bar spoon over and rest it on the glass wall close to the liquid, then tip the next liqueur onto the back of the bowl.

The spoon breaks the fall, and the liqueur fans out sideways rather than diving into the layer beneath. Measure each layer from a jigger and tip it slowly; chilled bottles help, because cold liqueur is thicker.

Build It Where It Will Be Drunk

Make the drink at the table, or carry it slowly. A quick move sends a wave through the bands and blurs every line.

Taken in one or sipped, it mixes in the mouth either way. The bands are for the eye, so build it where your guest can watch.

Using it

Using the Pousse-Café Glass

Usage

Building drinks in layers: liqueurs poured one over another so they settle in bands by density. Our B-52, Slippery Nipple and Baby Guinness are layered the same way, in a shot glass.

Pro Tip

Pour each layer from a jigger, not from the bottle. A measured 15ml tipped slowly onto the spoon is far easier to control than a bottle neck.

Professional Tips

Chill the bottles first; a cold liqueur is more viscous and sits more calmly on the layer under it.
Pour the densest layer straight in, then every later one over the back of a spoon.
Keep the spoon just over the surface of the last layer, touching the glass.
Measure each layer, so the bands come out even.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

A small cordial or liqueur glass, or a tall shot glass. Our layered drinks are made in a shot glass, and the technique is identical.

Premium Option

Older pousse-café and cordial glasses turn up second-hand, often thinner and finer than new ones. Check the rim for chips before buying.

Specifications

Material
Clear glass, so the layers show
Capacity
About 60 to 90ml, our guidance from our layered drinks of 40 to 50ml
Details
A narrow, near-straight bowl on a short stem and foot

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What is a pousse-café?

A drink of liqueurs or spirits floated one on another in visible bands, and drunk without stirring. The name is French for coffee-pusher, because it followed the coffee. Jerry Thomas printed several in 1862, each to be served in a small wine glass.

What size is a pousse-café glass?

About 60 to 90ml by our guidance, narrow and on a short stem. That holds three or four 15ml layers with room at the top, so the last pour does not reach the rim. A tall shot glass of similar size does the same job.

How do you layer a drink?

Pour the densest liqueur straight in. For every later layer, turn a spoon over, rest it on the glass wall a few millimetres from the surface, and tip the liqueur slowly onto its back. It fans out across the top rather than plunging.

What order do the layers go in?

Densest first. Sugar adds density and alcohol takes it away, so the sweetest, least alcoholic liqueur sits at the bottom. In our B-52 that means coffee liqueur, then Irish cream, then Grand Marnier on top. Brands vary, so try a new bottle in a spare glass.

Can I use a shot glass instead?

Yes. Our B-52, Slippery Nipple and Baby Guinness are all layered in a shot glass. A pousse-café glass adds a stem, which keeps the warmth of a hand away from the drink, and a slimmer bowl that makes each band look deeper.

Why do my layers mix?

Three causes cover most failures: a hurried pour, warm bottles, or the wrong order. Chill everything, pour onto a spoon close to the surface, and make sure each addition is less dense than what is already in the glass. Moving the glass quickly blurs the lines too.

Is a pousse-café worth making?

As a drink to sip, rarely: it is a stack of sweet liqueurs that mixes in the mouth anyway. As a test of a slow, steady pour, yes. Make it for the look, keep the layers small, and build it where it will be drunk.

Make something

Made with the Pousse-Café Glass

Used In These Cocktails

B-52 Slippery Nipple Baby Guinness

Related Equipment

Related Ingredients

Grenadine

Guide by Jerry Can Spirits · Updated 18 October 2026

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