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Shots Basics

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Shots Recipes from the Four Seasons Restaurant

How to Float or Layer a Shot

Floating, or layering, a drink refers to the technique of adding one liquid ingredient delicately over another so that the second ingredient forms a layer on top of the first. When done correctly, layering allows you to create a rainbow effect in which each spirit lies on top of another in distinct layers. Successful floating or layering requires you to:

Add the ingredients in the right order: Floating or layering only works if you pour in a spirit with a heavier relative weight before pouring in a lighter spirit. If you don’t follow the right order, the heavier spirit will sink down through the lighter spirit, destroying the layers.
Pour gently: Even if you’re pouring a lighter spirit over a heavier spirit, you still have to pour it into the glass gently enough so that its downward momentum doesn’t cause it to break through the spirit below it.

Determining the Relative Weights of Spirits

If you’re layering a drink by following recipe instructions, the recipe will list the alcohols in the order in which you should layer them. If you want to try to invent your own layered drinks or don’t have a recipe in front of you, you need to know the relative weights of the spirits you’re using. A spirit’s relative weight is measured in specific gravity, which essentially ranks a liquid’s weight relative to water. Water has a specific gravity of 1.0—liquids with specific gravities less than 1.0 are lighter than water, and those with a specific gravity greater than 1.0 are heavier than water.

Proof and Specific Gravity

Generally speaking, the higher a spirit’s alcohol content by volume (ABV)—usually measured in proof—the lower its specific gravity. Low-proof spirits and liqueurs contain more sugar than those with higher proofs, making the lower-proof spirits heavier and more syrupy.

Table of Specific Gravities of Alcohols

The following table lists the alcohols most commonly used to make layered drinks, organized from heaviest to lightest. The table also lists the color of each. The greater the difference in specific gravity between two liquids, the better they’ll layer. Generally, two alcohols must have specific gravities that are at least 0.02 apart in order to layer at all.

Please note that the specific gravities listed here are general, and may differ slightly based on the brand of liqueur that you’re using.

Type of Alcohol	Specific-Gravity	Color
Crème de cassis	1.18	Dark red
Grenadine	1.18	Red
Anisette	1.175	White
Crème de noyaux	1.165	Red
Crème de almond	1.16	Light brown
Hazelnut schnapps	1.15	Light brown
Kahlúa	1.15	Dark brown
Coffee liqueur	1.14	Dark brown
Crème de banane	1.14	Yellow
Crème de cacao	1.14	Brown
White crème de cacao	1.14	White
Coffee liqueur	1.13	Brown
Parfait d’amour	1.13	Violet
Cherry liqueur	1.12	Dark red
Green crème de menthe	1.12	Green
Strawberry liqueur	1.12	Red
White crème de nenthe	1.12	White
Blue curaçao	1.11	Blue
Galliano	1.11	Gold
Amaretto	1.10	Light brown
Blackberry liqueur	1.10	Dark red
Apricot liqueur	1.09	Amber
Tia Maria	1.09	Brown
Triple sec	1.09	White
Drambuie	1.08	Gold
Frangelico	1.08	Gold
Orange curaçao	1.08	Orange
Sambuca	1.08	Clear
Bénédictine D.O.M.	1.07	Gold
Campari	1.06	Red
Apricot brandy	1.06	Amber
Blackberry brandy	1.06	Dark red
Cherry brandy	1.06	Dark red
Peach brandy	1.06	Light brown
Yellow chartreuse	1.06	Yellow
Midori melon liqueur	1.05	Green
Rock and rye	1.05	Amber
Root beer schnapps	1.05	Brown
Bénédictine	1.04	Gold
Brandy	1.04	Amber
Cherry liqueur	1.04	Dark red
Cointreau	1.04	White
Cognac	1.04	Tawny
Grand Marnier	1.04	Brown
Kümmel	1.04	White
Peach liqueur	1.04	Amber
Peppermint schnapps	1.04	White
Sloe gin	1.04	Red
Green chartreuse	1.01	Green
Water	1.00	Clear
Tuaca	0.98	Amber
Southern Comfort	0.97	Gold
Kirschwasser (Kirsch)	0.94	Clear

Hard liquors such as vodka have specific gravities in the low 0.90s, so if they’re included in a layered drink recipe, they’re typically poured last. In general, the only ingredient layered after a hard liquor is cream.

Floating and Layering Technique

Floating or layering is used most often to make shots, but it can also be used to make other cocktails as well. In both cases, the technique is the same and requires a spoon—preferably a long-handled bar spoon.

To float or layer a shot or other cocktail:

Pour the heaviest ingredient into the glass first.
With the back side (convex side) of a bar spoon facing up, place the tip of the spoon so that it touches the inside of the glass just above the liquid.
Pour the next ingredient over the back side of the spoon very slowly. The liquid should flow gradually down the spoon and against the wall of the glass, and then flow gently down the side of the glass and form a new layer on top of the previous ingredient.
Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

If the layers become disturbed as you pour, put the drink in the refrigerator for up to an hour—the different spirits may separate into the distinct layers you’re looking for.

Acknowledgments & Disclaimer