Angel's Tip Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/13/21
Angel's Tip Cocktail in a glass, garnished with a cherry

The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

The angel's tip is a classic example of a pousse-café, a category of multi-layered drinks that are as beautiful as they are delicious. The drinks are predecessors to today's myriad of layered shots and the popular B-52 shooter started out in a pousse-café glass. They're amazing dessert cocktails, often offering indulgent flavors like the chocolate, cherry, and cream seen in this cocktail.

This particular recipe comes from the Prohibition era of the 1930s. It has also gone by other names (the "p" becomes a "t" for a more suggestive name, and the angel is sometimes replaced with witch). Whatever you call it, the cocktail's name likely came from the look of the finished cocktail: a creamy mountain topped with a cherry.

At any rate, it is an excellent indulgence and there are many variations on the drink that you can try.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce crème de cacao liqueur

  • 1 ounce maraschino liqueur

  • 1 ounce half-and-half

  • Maraschino cherry, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Angel's Tip Cocktail ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  2. Pour the crème de cacao into a cordial or cocktail glass.

    Crème de cacao into a cocktail glass

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  3. Float the maraschino liqueur on top.

    Float the maraschino liqueur on top of the crème de cacao in the glass

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  4. Float the half-and-half on top.

    Angel's Tip Cocktail in a cocktail glass

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

  5. Garnish with a maraschino cherry. Serve and enjoy.

    Angel's Tip Cocktail garnished with a maraschino cherry

    The Spruce Eats / Bahareh Niati

Tips

  • One of the best recommendations is to chill the finished drink for 30 minutes. Not only will it help it keep its shape, but it also makes the drink nice and cold, which is good because there is no ice involved in making it. That's also a nice idea if you want to serve it with or as dessert; make the drinks before sitting down for dinner and they'll be ready for the final course!
  • Some angel's tip recipes call for white crème de cacao while others prefer the dark version of the liqueur. Use whichever you like. The taste will not change, just the color of the bottom layer.
  • Maraschino is also a clear liqueur, so using it with white crème de cacao will create a two-layer drink.
  • Most cherry liqueurs should float nicely on top of the crème de cacao. They tend to have a lighter specific gravity than the sugar-laden chocolate liqueur. While using a substitute for maraschino shouldn't affect the layers, many alternatives are red and will add an extra layer of color.
  • Unless you use thick whipped cream, don't expect the cherry to float on top of half-and-half. Either drop it in the glass or cut a slit in the cherry and rest it on the rim.

Recipe Variations

  • Some recipes skip either the maraschino or crème de cacao altogether. Try it with either liqueur alone if you like.
  • You can also use whipped cream and a few recipes prefer heavy cream rather than half-and-half. Use any type of cream you have in stock—you may also want to whip the cream up a little bit with a whisk. If you're using a canned whipped cream, be careful no not to disturb the drink underneath as it squirts out (typically an issue near the end of the can).
  • If you skip the cherry on top, you have a drink called King Alphonse.

How Strong Is an Angel's Tip?

This cocktail is relatively light on the alcohol. When made according to the recipe, it will weigh in at just 17 percent ABV (34 proof).

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
240 Calories
3g Fat
31g Carbs
1g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 240
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 4%
Saturated Fat 2g 11%
Cholesterol 11mg 4%
Sodium 22mg 1%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 11%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 27g
Protein 1g
Vitamin C 1mg 4%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 70mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)