Grasshopper
Mint liqueur, chocolate liqueur and cream, shaken. A pale green after-dinner drink that tastes like a mint chocolate.
- MethodShaken
- GlassCoupe
- IceNone (served up)
- Strengthabout 11.1% ABV
- BaseLiqueur-led
- Tastecreamy, sweet, herbal
Recipe
| 30 ml 1 oz | Green crème de menthe |
| 30 ml 1 oz | White crème de cacao |
| 30 ml 1 oz | Cream (single/light or half-and-half) |
Garnish. A small mint leaf on top, or a little grated dark chocolate.
Method
- Chill a coupe.
- Shake the two liqueurs and the cream hard with ice for 12 to 15 seconds.
- Double strain into the chilled coupe and garnish.
About the Grasshopper
The Grasshopper is equal parts green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and cream, shaken until frothy. It tastes like a chilled mint chocolate, sweet and creamy, and is a dessert drink rather than an aperitif. Its strength is modest, around that of a glass of wine.
History
Earliest record 1908: William Boothby, The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them (layered, without cream)
Documented
A drink called the Grasshopper is printed in William Boothby's The World's Drinks and How to Mix Them (San Francisco, 1908), but it is a layered drink of the two liqueurs, not today's creamy one. The shaken version with cream is closely associated with Tujague's restaurant in New Orleans, which has served it for about a century. It was a fashionable American after-dinner drink in the 1950s and 60s, when it was often blended with ice cream.
Legend and lore
Tujague's says its owner Philibert Guichet created the drink for a cocktail competition in New York in 1918 and took second prize. No record of the contest or of his entry has been found.
Disputed or unclear: The 1918 date comes from the restaurant's own account and is not independently documented.
Variations
- Brandy Alexander. Cognac, dark crème de cacao and cream: richer, less sweet.
- Flying Grasshopper. Vodka added for a stronger, drier drink.
- Ice cream Grasshopper. Blended with vanilla ice cream, the 1950s and 60s American way.
Bartender's notes
- Use a crème de menthe that tastes of real mint; cheap ones taste of toothpaste.
- If it is too sweet, cut both liqueurs to 22.5 ml and add a little more cream.
