A Grasshopper cocktail combines green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, and cream in equal parts. Shake it with ice and serve it in a chilled coupe: the result is a pale green, mint-chocolate dessert drink with a light, silky texture.
It is an easy choice for a disco-themed evening when you want something colorful without layering juices or decorating every glass. Keep the serving small, the glass cold, and the garnish simple. The cocktail already supplies the color.
Grasshopper cocktail recipe
This follows the International Bartenders Association's Grasshopper formula. The cream choice and practical shaking guidance below are home-bar suggestions.
Makes: 1 small cocktail. Prep and total time: 5 minutes. Equipment: shaker, measure, strainer, small coupe.
Ingredients
- 20 ml green crème de menthe
- 20 ml white crème de cacao
- 20 ml fresh pouring cream, such as heavy cream
- Ice for shaking
- 1 small mint leaf, optional garnish
Each liquid measure is approximately 2/3 US fl oz. Milliliters are easier to measure accurately here; keep all three pours equal.
Instructions
- Chill a small coupe with ice water, then empty it before serving.
- Add the crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and cream to a shaker.
- Fill with ice and shake briskly for about 10 seconds, until the shaker feels cold.
- Strain into the chilled coupe without ice. Add the optional mint leaf and serve immediately.
What does a Grasshopper taste like?
Think mint chocolate with a soft dairy finish. The mint should feel fresh rather than overwhelming; the cacao gives a chocolate note without the weight of melted chocolate. Shaking adds a little air and water, so the drink should pour easily rather than resemble whipped cream.
This is deliberately a sweet cocktail. If your usual after-dinner order is an Espresso Martini, expect less bitterness and more creaminess. For almond and citrus instead, try an Amaretto Sour.
Which crème de menthe and crème de cacao should you use?
Green crème de menthe supplies the signature color as well as mint flavor. A clear version can make a minty drink, but it will not produce the same green appearance. Peppermint extract is much more concentrated and is not a measure-for-measure replacement.
White crème de cacao means the clear style of chocolate liqueur. Using a dark version changes the cocktail's color and can turn that pastel green muddy. Chocolate syrup is also a different ingredient: substituting it changes the sweetness, texture, and alcohol content together.
Neither ingredient name means you should buy an Irish cream or a chocolate cream liqueur. Read the bottle carefully before mixing; the dairy component in this recipe is added separately.
Use chilled liquid cream, not whipped cream from a can. Heavy cream gives a plush finish, while a lighter pouring cream makes a less rich drink. Start with the same measured amount and change only the cream on your next attempt if you want to compare textures.
A New Orleans drink with a retro party look
Tujague's credits Philip Guichet with creating the Grasshopper in 1918. The restaurant describes a competition in New York where the drink placed second, and its own version includes additional liqueurs and brandy. That is the restaurant's account of its signature drink; the three-ingredient IBA recipe above is a different specification.
The disco setting is a serving idea, not a claim that the cocktail originated in a 1970s nightclub. Its pale green color looks particularly good against silver decorations and low lighting. Use a small stemmed glass so the drink stays an elegant after-dinner serving rather than becoming a large bowl of sweet cream.
For another New Orleans classic with a very different flavor, explore the Sazerac.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Watery texture: use cold cream and solid ice, then strain promptly. Do not leave the finished drink sitting in the shaker while you prepare garnishes.
- Mint overwhelms the chocolate: check the measures first. Different liqueurs vary; for the next serving, try reducing the mint to 15 ml while leaving the other ingredients at 20 ml. This is an adaptation of the equal-parts recipe.
- Heavy or cloying finish: keep the serving small and try a lighter pouring cream next time. Extra chocolate syrup usually pushes the drink further toward dessert.
- Dull brown-green color: check that the cacao liqueur is the clear style. More green liqueur will also increase the mint and sweetness.
- Drink warms too quickly: chill the coupe before shaking and hold it by the stem.
Making Grasshoppers for a small party
For four small servings, measure 80 ml of each liqueur and 80 ml cream. Keep the cream refrigerated until needed. Shake two servings at a time with plenty of ice, using 40 ml of each ingredient per shaker batch. A crowded shaker has less room to move and makes consistent chilling harder.
Set out the glasses and mint before starting. Serve each pair as soon as it is strained. If your guests prefer a whisky drink without cream, the Rusty Nail offers a simple contrasting option.
Frequently asked questions
Does a Grasshopper contain ice cream?
The recipe above uses pouring cream. An ice-cream version is a frozen variation with a different texture and sweetness; it is not a direct substitution in this shaken recipe.
Does it need vodka?
No. The two liqueurs provide the alcohol. Adding vodka changes the strength and balance, so it is not needed for the classic formula.
Can you make it without dairy?
You can experiment with an unsweetened plant-based pouring cream, keeping the same amount as a starting point. Its flavor and shaking behavior may differ. Check both liqueur labels as well if you need every ingredient to meet a dietary requirement.
Is it the same as a mint Martini?
No. This is a cream-and-liqueur cocktail. Serving it in a stemmed cocktail glass does not make it a Martini.
