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

In other words, sir, you are a sort of human pousse-café, a mighty agreeable concoction, Mr. Bib, though a trifle dangerous to tackle at breakfast.

From Half-Hours with the Idiot by Bangs, John Kendrick

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

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