pousse-café

American  

[poos-ka-fey, poos-ka-fey] / ˌpus kæˈfeɪ, pus kaˈfeɪ /

noun

plural

pousse-cafés

1. an after-dinner drink of liqueurs of various colors and specific gravities, carefully poured into a glass so as to remain floating in separate layers.

2. a small glass of liqueur served after coffee.

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pousse-café British  

/ puskafe /

noun

1. a drink of liqueurs of different colours in unmixed layers

2. any liqueur taken with coffee at the end of a meal

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Etymology

Origin of pousse-café

1875–80; < French: literally, (it) pushes on (the) coffee

Example Sentences

It's a technicolor dream of a smoothie, a pousse-café meets a parfait meets a smoothie, as delicious as it was visually stunning.

From Salon • May 19, 2022

Over what was probably not pousse-café, Ricky took out a deck of cards and stunned us into admiration.

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2018

The latter nodded wisely, and a few minutes later brought in a tiny glass containing a pousse-café in three different colors.

From The Rejuvenation of Aunt Mary by Warner, Anne

I have become acquainted with a drink called pousse-café, which contains all the colors of the rainbow.

From The Valiants of Virginia by Rives, Hallie Erminie

She had uttered her protest against the pilgrimage, as she had swept the Parisian's pousse-café from his elbow.

From In and out of Three Normady Inns by Dodd, Anna Bowman