Grasshopper Cocktail Recipe
Green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and cream — mint chocolate, bright green, entirely unserious.
- Category: Contemporary Classics
- Glass: Coupe glass
- ABV: 15%
- Difficulty: Easy
- Prep time: ~3 min
Ingredients
- Green crème de menthe30 ml (1 oz)
- White crème de cacao30 ml (1 oz)
- Fresh cream30 ml (1 oz)
How to Make It
- Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice.
- Shake hard until well chilled.
- Double-strain into a chilled coupe.
- Grate nutmeg over the surface.
Garnish
Grated nutmeg
What it tastes like
The sweetness is pronounced, mint leaves a cooling finish and the texture is creamy.
The technique
Shaking. Anything with juice, syrup, egg white or cream gets shaken: the shaker chills the drink and adds roughly 20% water, and that water is what takes the edge off. Twelve to fifteen seconds, until the tin frosts over. Under-shaking leaves the drink harsh because it never got enough dilution.
Glass and ice
A stemmed, shallow coupe. The stem keeps your hand's warmth away from the drink, and the wide bowl carries the aroma to your nose. Served without ice.
Ingredient notes and substitutes
- Green crème de menthe
- A sweet mint liqueur; the green comes from colouring and it tastes the same as the white one. If the colour does not matter, white crème de menthe is an exact swap.
- Fresh cream
- Cream will curdle when it meets citrus juice; to avoid it, add the cream last and shake straight away.
The Story
From Tujague's in New Orleans, where it won a New York cocktail competition in 1928 and never left the city's dessert menus.
Frequently asked questions
- How is a Grasshopper mixed?
- It is shaken and served in a coupe.
- How strong is a Grasshopper?
- Roughly 15% ABV as served — right around a glass of wine — an aperitif or an early-evening drink.
- Can a Grasshopper be made without alcohol?
- Simply leaving the spirit out does not work — the body and the bitterness go with it. The 86 alcohol-free recipes in the catalogue are built to hit that balance from the start.
- Is a Grasshopper hard to make?
- Easy. No bar kit required — a measure, ice and a jar will do.
759 recipes in your pocket
Cocktails and mocktails from 55 countries — ingredients, steps and the story behind each drink. Works offline too.
Similar recipes
Collections
Alcoholic drink recipes are intended for those aged 18 and over. Please drink responsibly.