The Grasshopper Recipe

Posted in Liquers on March 1, 2014

The Grasshopper is a mint flavored dessert cocktail which is perfect for being served after dinner. It is very popular because of its unique aroma and out of the ordinary look. Its name was probably inspired by the greenish color given by the crème de menthe. It is believed that the Grasshopper was invented in the New Orleans area. By the 50s and the 60s it was a very popular drink in the southern regions of the United States. As it is the case with all popular cocktails, numerous variations appeared over the years. Some like them best while others are loyal to the original recipe.

The original recipe implies using equal parts of crème de menthe, crème de cacao and fresh cream. You can easily imagine that the result is strongly flavored and with a creamy texture. Not anyone likes this cocktail, but if dessert cocktails are your thing, you should definitely learn how to prepare it yourself. It is not very difficult and it only takes several minutes. In the northern regions of the United States, the fresh cream in the original recipe is replaced with ice cream. The result is more like a milkshake than a cocktail, but it is still alcoholic.

How to Prepare the Grasshopper

You only need three ingredients in equal proportions:

• ¾ oz. of crème de menthe
• ¾ oz. of crème de cacao
• ¾ oz. of fresh cream.

Well, not three ingredients, but four, because you will also need ice.

Put everything in the shaker and shake well for around half a minute until you notice that the shaker is frosted. Strain the cocktail in a chilled glass and enjoy. It is best if you serve it on the rocks.

This indeed the original recipe, but it is not set in stone. You can play with the ingredients and change the ratio between them if you favor one of the aromas over the others. The best part about the this cocktail is that you can actually “customize” it per your exact tastes.

The final result is also going to be influenced by the exact ingredients that you are using. If you use brown crème de cacao and not clear one or white crème de menthe, you will obtain a slightly different cocktail with a distinct color.

Grasshopper Variations

Some variations of this famous cocktail are pretty popular. The Flying Grasshopper uses vodka instead of cream. It is thus stronger and less creamy. The Brown Grasshopper is just like the regular one, but it has an extra ingredient: coffee. The Frozen Grasshopper is getting pretty close to a real dessert because it also contains mint ice cream. The Green Genie is also a variation of the Grasshopper and it uses crème de caramel and jasmine infused vodka together with crème de menthe.