Grasshopper
Grasshopper is made with crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and cream in equal measures, chilled for serving.
Built to the standard modern spec; not yet tested in our kitchen. How we test.
The recipe.
Scaling adjusts quantities only. Prepare shaken drinks in individual portions.
Let’s make a good drink.
Chill a coupe and prepare the garnish before mixing.
Add all measured ingredients to a shaker.
Add ice, seal the shaker and shake until the tin feels thoroughly cold.
Fine strain into the prepared coupe.
Place fresh mint at the surface for its aroma.
A thoughtful finish
- Use white crème de cacao so a dark cocoa liqueur does not muddy the color.
- Keep dairy ingredients cold and shake the measured mixture until evenly blended.
- Chill the serving glass as well as the mixture so the first sip stays cold.
Common mistakes
- Peppermint extract is far more concentrated than crème de menthe and is not an equal-measure replacement.
- Warm cream or milk warms the entire drink and encourages excessive ice melt.
- A warm serving glass quickly undoes the chilling achieved during mixing.
A few good questions.
What is in a Grasshopper?
Grasshopper is made with crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and cream in equal measures.
Can I scale a Grasshopper for more servings?
Multiply every measured ingredient by the same serving count. Prepare the measured still ingredients ahead if useful, but chill, shake or stir each serving as directed; add any carbonated finish at service.
Can I use cream liqueur instead of cream?
Plain cream and cream liqueur are different ingredients. A liqueur adds alcohol and sugar, so swapping it for plain dairy produces a separate variation.
What glass should I use for a Grasshopper?
Use the assigned coupe for this directory serving. Where that differs from the source’s presentation, the version note labels the serving adaptation.
Variations
- Dairy-free experiment — Editorial adaptation: try an unsweetened dairy alternative in the same measured dairy slot; texture and separation may differ, and the result is not the cited original.
- Over a large ice cube — Editorial serving variation: serve the same measured mixture over a large fresh cube in a rocks glass; continued ice melt will change its dilution over time.
Where it comes from
Contested. More than one origin is claimed for this drink. We show the competing accounts rather than pick one.
The familiar creamy Grasshopper has a more complicated history than its association with one restaurant suggests. Difford’s Guide describes Tujague’s in New Orleans as its signature venue and recounts a competition story involving Philibert Guichet in 1919 or during Prohibition. It also notes the lack of documentary support for that precise creation claim. A drink named Grasshopper appears in a 1908 book as a two-liqueur layered preparation attributed to Harry O’Brien; that is not yet the three-ingredient shaken cream cocktail presented here. The reference also identifies later newspaper evidence pointing toward Milwaukee in the late 1940s. These records should not be compressed into a confident invention date for the modern version. This entry preserves the equal-measure cream recipe while leaving its individual creator and creation year unresolved.
Sources
- Difford’s Guide — Grasshopper Cocktail Recipe (reference) link
Strength. About 0.93 US standard drinks at an estimated 12.8% ABV, estimated from the ingredients and technique, not measured. What that means.
A little character in every sip.
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