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The Old-School French Cocktail People Loved To Drink After Dinner By Jessica Riggio Sept. 1, 2025 7:39 am EST

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There was a time when post-dinner drinks were ruled by pretty, layered cocktails served in dainty glasses. They were on bar and dinner menus everywhere from the 1800s to the 1950s, a whole collection of drinks known as pousse café cocktails. They originated in France, inspired by a pre-existing French tradition — after-dinner cocktails known as chasse café, translated from French as "coffee chaser." These cocktails were digestifs with multiple liquors and liqueurs in a small glass, taken like a modern-day shot, and served alongside coff

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