The Specific Gravity Of Alcohol

The Specific Gravity of Alcohol

Are you having problems layering shooters? This table should help you on your quest to become competent at layering different alcohol's. Each alcohol has its own weight, or Specific Gravity Value. These values tell you in what order that you should pour them. As described in the layering section, you must pour the heaviest liquors first, or the liquors with the largest value. 0.97 would be the lightest in the table and 1.18 would be the heaviest. • • •

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Liquids with the highest number are heavier (thus tend to go down in a glass), and should be poured first This means you should pour your spirits in order, from the highest specific gravity (first) to the lowest (last) Bear in mind that the difference between the specific gravities of two drinks matters (the bigger the difference, the easier it is to keep the layers cleanly separated) Alcohol weighs less than water, so as a general rule: liquids higher in alcohol are lighter (and tend to float on top) Pouring a liquid from too much height can spoil the layers that are already in the glass, you can avoid this by pouring from a low height or by pouring the liquid on the back of a spoon (which will slow it down) For simplicity's sake, most layered cocktails recipes are written heaviest to lightest (in order of pouring) It is important to move the glass with care after pouring the ingredients, and to not touch the inside with anything (it will spoil the perfectly horizontal line between the layers)

Alcohol Type Southern Comfort Tuaca Green Chartreuse Cointreau Peach Liquor Sloe Gin Peppermint Schnapps Benedictine & Brandy Cherry Liquor Midori Melon Liquor Fruit Flavoured Brandies Campari Yellow Chartreuse Benedictine D.O.M. Strawberry Drambui Frangelico Amaretto di Saranno Tia Maria Apricot Liquor Blackberry Liquor Blue Curacao Galliano Creme de Menthe Coffee Liquor Creme de Banana Creme de Cacao Kahlua Creme de Almond Creme de Noyaux Anisette Grenadine Creme de Cassis

Specific Gravity Value 0.97 0.98 1.01 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.06 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.08 1.09 1.09 1.10 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.14 1.14 1.16 1.16 1.18 1.18 1.18

How to Float Ingredients in a Cocktail Drink Have you ever seen a cocktail with a colorful ingredient floating on the top of it and wondered how did they do that? They probably made the cocktail using the floating technique. Float or floating in cocktail terminology means to add a small amount of liquid over the back of a spoon or down the handle of a bar spoon to the cocktail. A float is usually the last ingredient used in a cocktail. A float is added last because it is not stirred or shaken like the other ingredients used in the cocktail. Some ingredients can be floated by pouring the ingredient slowly in the drink, but usually it is poured slowly over the back of a spoon. Some bartenders will float the ingredient down the handle of a bar spoon. It’s very important when floating an ingredient to slowly pour the liquid over the back of the spoon because if you pour it too quickly it will mix with the other ingredients in the cocktail. This Tequila Sunrise cocktail uses the floating technique to add the grenadine to the drink. Ingredients: •

1 ½ oz Tequila

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4 oz Orange Juice

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1 ½ oz Grenadine (grenadine is non alcoholic cherry flavored syrup used in many cocktail drinks)

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1 Orange Slice for garnish

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1 Lime Slice for garnish

Preparation: 1. Place 3 cubes of ice in a shaker. 2. Add the tequila and orange juice to the ice. 3. Shake well (shake the shaker at least 10 times). 4. Strain into a Collins cocktail glass. 5. Float grenadine into the drink. 6. Garnish with an orange slice and a lime slice. Floating the grenadine on top of this cocktail adds a beautiful look to the drink. The grenadine gives the drink a sweet flavor and also adds a bright and colorful look. The Tequila Sunrise has a very sweet taste because of the orange juice and grenadine and looks elegant when the grenadine is floated on top.

The Tequila Sunrise is also prepared by adding the tequila and orange juice to a Collins glass with ice. Do not stir. Add the grenadine and let it settle to the bottom of the glass. Do not stir. Garnish with orange slice.

How to Layer a Cocktail Here's an easy way to layer a cocktail such as a Pousse Cafe. Difficulty Level: Hard

Time Required: 5 minutes

Here's How: 1. Select a shot, cordial, or Pousse Cafe glass.

2. Refer to the density chart for approximate weight of liqueurs. 3. Pour your heaviest liquid first. 4. Place a bar or teaspoon upside down into the glass against the edge. 5. Slowly pour the next heaviest liqueur over the back of the spoon. 6. Continue with each liqueur, ending with the lightest. 7. If a liqueur does not float, discard or drink this attempt. 8. Admire your finished work of art. Tips: 1. If glass is too narrow to place a spoon in, a maraschino cherry will work. 2. The trick is to pour very slowly. 3. If using a bar spoon, pour down the twisted part of the handle. 4. Not all brands have the same density, so you may have to use the trial and error method. 5. These may be prepared a bit in advance, so are perfect for after dinner drinks.

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REFERENCES

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DRINK STREET ™ Drink with Style ○ http://www.drinkstreet.com/category.cgi?category=33

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WIKIPEDIA .COM ○ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backdraft_%28drink%29

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Drink Nation ○ http://www.drinknation.com/bartending/flaming-drinks

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Bella Online ○ http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art49306.asp

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HUNGRY MONSTER.COM ○ http://www.hungrymonster.com/bar/Specific_gravity.cfm

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SUPERCOCKTAILS ○ http://supercocktails.com/bartending/Layering-Cocktails--Specific-Gravity-Chart

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GOOGLE ○ http://www.google.com.ph/