A grasshopper is one of the easiest cocktail recipes you can make! With crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and whipped cream, this grasshopper drink is a chocolate mint lover’s dream!
The first time I had a Grasshopper cocktail was just after I turned twenty-one. I was at a Christmas party that was about as stylish as one would expect when held at a house on Sorority Row and attended by a group of recently legal drinkers.
There was a barrel dressed as Santa Claus, boys and girls in fake antlers and pirated Christmas music blaring above the noise of the crowd. And if you could squeeze your way through the tipsy crowd, a noble student was bartending in the corner. The choice she gave us was mulled wine or a grasshopper cocktail. Not yet a wine lover and unsure what a Grasshopper is, I opted for the latter.
A sweet, creamy, minty drink
I was assured it was a good choice and watched as she concocted something green and heavy with cream. I winced, expecting it to turn into a curdled, gross mess.
Surprise, surprise, it was anything but! It was sweet and creamy with a taste reminiscent of melted mint chip ice cream. Practically Christmas in a glass.
The Grasshopper Drink: A retro cocktail favorite
While some cocktail snobs mistake the Grasshopper for a cheesy drink-your-dessert cocktail, I prefer to embrace its cheesy nature. The bright green drink is a conversation starter. Every time I serve it up at a dinner party, my guests either reminisce fondly about the last time they had one, or marvel that they’ve never tried one before.
Applause!
What is a locust drink?
A Grasshopper is a cocktail from New Orleans. Philibert Guichet, then the owner of the city restaurant Tujague’s, created it in 1918 for a cocktail competition in New York City. It took second place. The restaurant still exists and an adaptation of the original cocktail is still on its menu today.
This cocktail gets its green color and mint flavor from crème de menthe liqueur and its chocolate flavor from white crème de cacao liqueur (do not use dark crème de cacao or you will dull the color). Heavy cream adds body and richness.
Chilling the glassware for a Grasshopper cocktail drink
Because the grasshopper cocktail is shaken with ice but served in the glass without ice, it’s best served in either a martini glass or a coupe glass (a stemmed glass with a shallow bowl used for sparkling or non-iced drinks ).
To keep the drink cold after pouring, chill the glassware before pouring the drink by placing ice in the bowl and letting it sit for a few minutes. Pour out the ice before pouring in the cocktail.
When to serve locust drinks
- Christmas
- New Year’s Eve
- valentines day
- St. Patrick’s Day
- cocktail hour
- brunch
- Any time!
More decadent cocktails to try!
- Chocolate Martini
- espresso martini
- Hemingway Daiquiri
- Belarusian cocktail
- Chocolate sidecar
From the editors of Simply Recipes
Locust Cocktail
You must take with you two somewhat esoteric but easy to find liquors. Crème de Menthe is a light green liqueur with a strong mint flavor. The other is white crème de cacao, a clear, chocolate-flavored liqueur that was hugely popular in chocolate martinis and Brandy Alexanders in the ’90s.
ingredients
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1 ounce mint cream
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1 ounce White cocoa cream
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2 ounces heavy cream
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Ice
method
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Prepare the cocktail shaker:
Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice.
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Add liqueurs and whipped cream and shake:
Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake well for about 10 seconds.
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Strain into a glass:
Strain the cocktail into a chilled coupé or martini glass. Serve immediately.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 399 | calories |
| 22g | Fat |
| 25g | carbohydrates |
| 2g | protein |
