The Classic Grasshopper Cocktail, Done Right
The Grasshopper is a retro dessert cocktail made by blending green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, and heavy cream with ice until smooth. It's minty, chocolatey, and creamy — essentially a boozy ice cream soda in a glass. It takes 3 minutes to make one serving.
- Baseliqueur
- Strength18% ABV, approximate
- Methodblend
- Glasscoupe
- Difficultyeasy
- Total7 min
- Serves1
- Minty
- Chocolatey
- Creamy
- Sweet
- Jigger or measuring spoons
- Blender
- Bar spoon
- Coupe glass
- Fine mesh strainer
- Contains dairy (Heavy Cream)
The Grasshopper is a strange drink. It's bright green, tastes like a mint-chocolate milkshake, and has a history that stretches back to a New Orleans supper club in the early 1900s. But it survives because the formula is genuinely good: the cooling bite of mint, the quiet sweetness of chocolate, and enough cream to make everything feel indulgent.
This recipe is the classic proportions — equal parts of both liqueurs, and just enough cream to round out the edges. Some versions go heavy on the cream and turn the drink into a frozen dessert. This one keeps it balanced so you can still taste the booze. You'll need a blender, about three minutes, and a coupe glass that's been chilling in the freezer.
Expect a drink that pours thick, sits pale green in the glass, and drinks like a float with a kick. It's dessert and cocktail at once, and it's been that way for over a century.
About the Grasshopper
The Grasshopper's origin is usually traced to 1919 at Tujague's, a bar in New Orleans, where it was created by a man named Philip Guichet. The drink won a national cocktail competition in the 1950s, which pushed it into mainstream American bars and eventually into the ice cream version that became a staple of chain restaurants. The drink belongs to the family of cream-based dessert cocktails that includes the Brandy Alexander and the Pink Squirrel. What separates the Grasshopper is its use of green crème de menthe, which gives it both the mint flavor and its signature color. It's a drink tied to mid-century American cocktail culture, and it's still ordered today because the flavor profile remains genuinely appealing.
Why it works
- 1The mint and cacao liqueurs are both sweet, so the cream isn't extra sweetness — it's the structural element that keeps the drink from tasting like syrup.
- 2Blending with ice does the dilution for you, turning a syrupy liqueur mix into a light, drinkable texture.
- 3Green crème de menthe carries the color and the cooling sensation; white crème de menthe would taste the same but look like a sad, gray Alexander.
- 4The small cream amount (a quarter ounce) keeps the drink creamy without tipping it into milkshake territory.
Ingredients
Serves 1.
3/4 oz Green Crème de Menthe, chilledThe green version is essential — it's where the drink gets its color.
- 3/4 oz White Crème de Cacao, chilled
White, not dark, to keep the color bright green.
1/4 oz Heavy Cream, chilledHeavy cream, not half-and-half — the fat is what gives the drink its silky texture.
3/4 cup Ice, crushed or small cubesSmall ice blends faster and gives you more control over dilution.
ingredients
The liqueurs matter more than the cream. Get a decent green crème de menthe — the cheap stuff tastes like toothpaste and no amount of chocolate will save it. Tempus Fugit and Giffard make good ones. For the crème de cacao, white is correct here; dark adds a muddy color that ruins the visual. Heavy cream is non-negotiable. Half-and-half or milk will make the drink thin and watery, and you'll end up adding more ice to compensate, which just dilutes it further.
You need: jigger or measuring spoons, blender, bar spoon, coupe glass, fine mesh strainer.
Method
Chill the glass
Put your coupe glass in the freezer for at least 5 minutes before you start. A cold glass keeps the blended drink from melting too fast, which is the difference between a thick, spoon-worthy drink and a watery one. If you don't have time to freeze it, fill it with crushed ice and water while you blend. Dump it out just before pouring.
Look for: The glass is frosted over and cold to the touch.
Common mistake: Skipping the chill. The drink melts immediately in a warm glass and loses its texture within a minute.
Pour the crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and heavy cream into the blender jar. Add the ice on top — crushed ice blends faster and more evenly than cubes. Measure the liqueurs carefully. The drink is balanced at equal parts of the two liqueurs, and a heavy hand with either one will tip it into cloying sweetness.
Look for: The ingredients sit in the blender: bright green liquid, milky cream, and white ice clearly separated before blending.
Common mistake: Adding too much ice. A full cup of ice will turn the drink into a slushie that's too watery and too cold to taste properly. Stick to 3/4 cup.
Blend on high for 15 to 20 seconds. You're not making a smoothie — you're just breaking down the ice enough to get a thick, pourable texture. The drink should be opaque and slightly frothy on top, like a soft-serve ice cream that's just started to melt.
Look for: The mixture is a uniform pale green, thick enough to hold a slow swirl, with a light foam on the surface.
Common mistake: Over-blending. Anything past 25 seconds turns the ice to water and leaves you with a thin, watery drink that tastes flat. Stop while it still has body.
If you used small cubes instead of crushed ice, pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into the chilled coupe glass. This catches any small ice shards that didn't blend completely — they'd water down the drink as they melt. If you used crushed ice and blended it thoroughly, you can pour straight from the blender. Use a bar spoon to guide the last bit out of the jar.
Look for: The drink pours thick and pale green, with a smooth surface and no visible ice chunks.
Common mistake: Skipping the strain when using cubed ice. The shards melt and thin out the drink before you're halfway through it.
Garnish with a single fresh mint leaf, placed on the edge of the glass or floated on top. That's it — the drink is already the show. Serve immediately with a short straw or a small spoon for the foam. Don't add chocolate shavings or a drizzle of syrup. The drink is already sweet enough, and the garnish should echo the mint, not compete with it.
Look for: A pale green drink in a frosted coupe, one bright green mint leaf resting on the surface, light catching the glass.
Common mistake: Over-garnishing. The Grasshopper is a simple drink; piling on chocolate or whipped cream makes it cloying and hides the color.
Tips from the bar
- 1Measure the liqueurs with a jigger, not a free pour. A half-ounce too much crème de menthe makes the drink taste like mouthwash.
- 2Crushed ice is the right call here. Cubes need longer blending, which means more dilution and a thinner result.
- 3Chill your liqueurs before blending. The drink stays thicker and the flavors are brighter when nothing starts out at room temperature.
- 4For a richer texture, swap the heavy cream for a heaping scoop of vanilla ice cream and skip the ice entirely. It's a different drink, closer to a float, but a good one.
- 5Rinse the blender immediately after pouring. Crème de menthe has a habit of leaving a sticky green film that's painful to scrub once it dries.
Variations
- Frozen Grasshopper: Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and skip the heavy cream and ice. Blend until smooth. This is the chain-restaurant version, and it's sweeter and thicker.
- Flying Grasshopper: Add 1/2 oz of vodka for a slightly stronger, less sweet drink. The vodka adds body without changing the flavor much.
- Grasshopper Martini: Serve it shaken over ice and strained into a chilled martini glass, without blending. This version is clear and spirit-forward, closer to a dessert martini than a frozen drink.
- Mexican Grasshopper: Add a pinch of ground cinnamon and a dash of espresso to the blender. The coffee and spice cut through the sweetness and add a different dimension.
Substitutions
- Heavy cream → Half-and-half: The drink will be thinner and less rich. Expect a more ice-like texture instead of silky. Not recommended.
- Green crème de menthe → White crème de menthe + green food coloring: Tastes nearly identical but looks wrong. Use only if you have white on hand and don't care about the color.
- White crème de cacao → Dark crème de cacao: Works, but adds a brown tint that turns the drink a murky, unappealing green-brown. Use only if you have no other option.
- Heavy cream → Oat cream or coconut cream: Works for a dairy-free version, but the flavor changes noticeably. Coconut adds a tropical note that's not traditional.
Serving, storing, batching
Serve the Grasshopper as a dessert course on its own. It's rich enough that it doesn't need food alongside it, but it pairs well with something crisp and light — a shortbread cookie or thin biscotti cut through the cream nicely. It also works as a after-dinner drink on a cold evening, when the mint has a warming effect despite the chill.
The Grasshopper doesn't store well. Once blended, the ice melts and the drink separates within 30 minutes, leaving a watery, unappealing mess. Make it fresh, every time. If you absolutely must, you can pre-mix the three liquids (minus ice) and keep them in a sealed bottle in the fridge for up to a week — just shake well and blend with ice when you're ready.
To scale for a party, multiply the recipe by the number of guests and blend in batches of two to four servings at a time. A full blender jar makes it hard to control dilution. Pre-mix the liqueurs and cream in a pitcher, chill it, then blend each batch with the right amount of ice. Expect to use about 3/4 cup of crushed ice per drink. Serve immediately; the drink doesn't hold.
Questions people ask
A Grasshopper is made with three ingredients: green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, and heavy cream. The classic version blends these with ice until smooth, creating a frozen, minty, chocolatey dessert cocktail. Some versions use vanilla ice cream instead of heavy cream.
No. A Grasshopper is on the weaker side for a cocktail, typically around 15-18% ABV. The heavy cream and ice dilute the two liqueurs significantly. It's a dessert drink, meant to be sipped slowly, not a high-proof cocktail.
Yes, though it's more of a nostalgia drink than a modern trend. It has a dedicated following among people who remember it from mid-century cocktail culture, and it's found a second life as a dessert drink and in variations like the Frozen Grasshopper. It's not a daily drink, but it's a classic that's worth knowing.
The classic Grasshopper cocktail has exactly three ingredients: green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, and heavy cream. These are blended with ice until smooth and served in a chilled coupe glass. That's the entire drink — no other mixers or flavorings.
The best recipe is the classic: combine 3/4 oz green crème de menthe, 3/4 oz white crème de cacao, and 1/4 oz heavy cream in a blender with 3/4 cup of crushed ice. Blend on high for about 15-20 seconds, strain into a chilled coupe, and garnish with a mint leaf. The key is not over-blending.
Yes. Combine 1 oz green crème de menthe, 1 oz white crème de cacao, and 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream in a blender. Blend until smooth and thick. This is the 'Frozen Grasshopper' variation — it's richer and sweeter than the cream version, closer to a milkshake.
The Grasshopper is green because of the green crème de menthe. This mint liqueur is artificially colored bright green, and it's the dominant color in the drink. The white crème de cacao and cream lighten it to a pale, minty green.
A Grasshopper tastes like a liquid mint-chocolate candy. The crème de menthe provides a strong, cooling mint flavor, the crème de cacao adds a sweet, subtle chocolate note, and the cream smooths everything into a rich, dessert-like texture. It's very sweet.
The Grasshopper is most commonly credited to Tujague's, a bar in New Orleans, where it was created around 1919. It won a national cocktail competition in the 1950s, which helped spread it across the country. The exact story is disputed, but the New Orleans connection is the strongest.
The classic Grasshopper is blended with ice, which gives it a thick, frothy, milkshake-like texture. Some bartenders serve a 'martini' version that's shaken with ice and strained, which is thinner and more spirit-forward. The blended version is the classic.
Last word
The Grasshopper is a relic of a different era, but it's earned its place in the canon. It's easy, it's striking, and it tastes like dessert in a glass. When you want something sweet, cold, and a little surprising, this is the one to make. Blend it, chill it, and sip it slowly.
