A float means adding a small amount of liquid to the top of a finished drink so it sits on the surface rather than mixing in. You hold a bar spoon just above the surface of the drink and pour slowly over the back of the spoon — the curved back disperses the liquid gently and slows its descent, letting it rest on top of the denser liquid beneath. Floats are typically used for cream, colored syrups, or high-proof spirits that create a visual layer and change the first sip.
Why It Matters
A float changes both the look and the first taste of a drink. Cream floated over a coffee cocktail means your first sip comes through a layer of cold cream — different from a drink where the cream is mixed throughout. It's a deliberate choice about how the drink is experienced, not just a visual trick.
Where You'll Use It
Irish Coffee (cream float), Tequila Sunrise (grenadine float), layered shooters, any drink where a component is meant to rest separately on the surface.
Worth Knowing
Layering
Layering is the technique of building multiple floats on top of each other to create distinct visible bands of different-colored liquids. Each layer must be denser than the one above it. Liqueurs are often layered by sugar content — higher sugar sinks, lower sugar floats. Layered drinks are primarily visual and tend to mix as you drink them.