A Grasshopper is a sweet, mint-flavored, after-dinner drink named for its green color, which comes from crème de menthe. Tujague's, a bar in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana, claims its owner Philip Guichet invented the drink in 1918.[1] The drink gained popularity during the 1950s and 1960s throughout the American South.
Composition
A typical Grasshopper cocktail is equal parts green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, and cream shaken with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass.[2]
Variations
A "Vodka" or "Flying" Grasshopper replaces the cream with vodka.[3]
A "Frozen" Grasshopper adds mint ice cream to create a more dessert-like drink.[4]
An "After Eight" adds a layer of dark chocolate liqueur to the crème de menthe, crème de cacao and cream.[5]
In the North Central United States, especially Wisconsin, Grasshoppers are blended drinks, with ice cream substituted for cream.[6] A related variation is the "Grasshopper milkshake", which contains mint chocolate chipice cream, milk, and crème de menthe. This is blended and served in a tall glass decorated with a miniature or broken cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie.[7]
In celebrating the 85th anniversary of the snack food, Hostess released a cooking book of recipes using Twinkies. One of the recipes is called a "Twinkie Grasshopper"[9] which is akin to a milkshake.