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Everyone loves this Grasshopper drink recipe! The classic mint chocolate dessert cocktail pairs crème de menthe and chocolate liqueur for a creamy, smooth sip.
It’s glowing green, rich and creamy, and delightfully mint chocolate: the Grasshopper drink! Turns out, this classic cocktail has more history than you’d expect, dating back to 1918. Alex and I are big mint chocolate fans, making this one of our favorite sweet alcoholic drinks to date.
Shake up this classy, creamy after-dinner drink in a cocktail shaker and strain it into a martini glass. One creamy, mint chocolate sip and you’ll be sold.
What’s in a Grasshopper drink?
The Grasshopper cocktail is an after dinner drink starring creme de menthe and creme de cacao. It was invented in New Orleans in 1918 by the owner of the bar Tujague’s, or so the story goes. According to Tujague’s, Philip Guichet invented it for a cocktail competition in New York City, where it got second place. He brought it back to his bar and Tujague’s has been serving it ever since.
The Grasshopper became so popular that it made the list of the International Bartender Association’s IBA official cocktails, meaning that it has an “official” definition. There’s also a variation of the Grasshopper with ice cream. The ingredients in a classic Grasshopper cocktail are:
- Crème de menthe
- Crème de cacao
- Heavy cream
All about crème de menthe
There’s one thing that’s irreplaceable in a Grasshopper drink recipe, and that’s crème de menthe. It’s the liquor that gives the drink its signature color and flavor. Here’s what to know:
- Crème de menthe is a bright green, sweet mint-flavored liqueur, invented in the 1880s. Despite what you might think, there’s no cream at all: it’s a grain alcohol infused with mint. There is also white creme de menthe that is colorless but has the same flavor. The white variety is used in the classic Stinger cocktail, but you’ll want the green version for the Grasshopper.
- What does creme de menthe taste like? It has a sweet flavor with very strong peppermint notes, similar to peppermint schnapps but smoother and more balanced.
- Is it worth buying? Yes, if you love a good Grasshopper! It’s not used in many other cocktails, so it’s essentially a one-use bottle. You can also drizzle a splash over vanilla ice cream to make Creme de Menthe Parfaits.
All about crème de cacao
Crème de cacao is the other special liqueur you’ll need for this Grasshopper drink recipe: it’s what adds the chocolate nuance to the fresh mint. Here’s a little more about this liquor:
- Creme de cacao is a cocoa bean flavored liqueur, available in both white (clear) and dark varieties. It has a long history and is possibly one of the first alcoholic beverages, made in the 1600’s by monks after cocoa beans were brought back to Europe from America.
- What does creme de cacao taste like? Creme de cacao has a sweet, milk chocolate flavor, with notes of vanilla.
- Is it worth buying? Yes, if you like sweet cocktails! Use it to make creme de cacao cocktails like a Chocolate Martini, Brandy Alexander or Bushwacker.
Variation: the frozen Grasshopper
Were you looking for the boozy milkshake version of a Grasshopper? It’s called a Frozen Grasshopper. According to Eater, the Frozen Grasshopper was invented in Wisconsin and was often served at Wisconsin supper clubs. The Wisconsin style of drinking is also what brought us the Brandy Old Fashioned, Pink Squirrel, and Brandy Alexander: it’s all about fun, sweet drinks that are big on dairy. To make a frozen Grasshopper drink:
- Substitute 2 scoops of ice cream for the heavy cream.
- Blend in a blender until combined.
Classic Grasshopper
Everyone loves this Grasshopper drink recipe! The classic mint chocolate dessert cocktail pairs crème de menthe and chocolate liqueur for a creamy, smooth sip.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 drink 1x
- Category: Drink
- Method: Shaken
- Cuisine: Cocktails
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 ½ ounces* crème de cacao
- 1 ½ ounces crème de menthe
- 2 ounces heavy cream**
- For the garnish: Shaved chocolate (optional)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a cocktail shaker. Add 2 handfuls of ice and shake until cold.
- Strain into a cocktail glass. Top with shaved chocolate if desired.
Notes
*1 ounces = 2 tablespoons
**Want to make a frozen grasshopper? Substitute 2 scoops vanilla ice cream for the heavy cream and blend in a blender. To make 4 servings, use ¾ cup each of creme de cacao and creme de menthe, and 8 scoops ice cream.
More sweet cocktails
This green drink is a mint after-dinner drink that doubles as dessert! It’s also a great green drink for St. Patrick’s Day with its bright green color (though of course there’s nothing Irish about it). Here are a few more dessert drinks to try after this one:
- Try classic creme de cacao drinks, the Mudslide or Brandy Alexander.
- Mix up a Chocolate Martini or Espresso Martini.
- Go for a creamy Golden Cadillac or the retro Pink Squirrel.
Brilliant!
I ordered a grasshopper at a bar in Long Beach and they used Rumchata instead of heavy cream and it was AMAZING!! ofc the cocktail was more expensive than normal but its definitely worth it.
The flavor and color are spot on.
Pour crème de menthe over roast leg of lamb last 5-10 minutes of
Roasting