New Orleans, United States

Grasshopper

Also known as Green Grasshopper

The Grasshopper is a sweet, minty, creamy drink that tastes like an after-dinner mint in a glass.

mintchocolatecreamysweetdessertafter-dinnerlow-alcoholshakengreen

ABV

Difficulty

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with a cool, sweet wave of mint and cream, almost like melted ice cream. The middle stays thick and dessert-like, with the chocolate creeping in underneath the mint. It finishes sweet and lingering, coating your tongue with mint chocolate flavor long after you set the glass down.

Who will like it

This is for people who like sweet, creamy dessert drinks and don't mind something that tastes more like a treat than a stiff cocktail.

When to drink

Serve this at the end of a heavy meal when everyone is reaching for something sweet instead of a second dinner.

Ordering tip

If you want it less sweet, ask the bartender to cut the cream de cacao with a splash of vodka or use half-and-half instead of heavy cream.

Ice: NoneTemp: ColdCost: $8–$12Glass: CoupeBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink is a straight-up dessert in a glass. It hits you with a wall of sweet mint and chocolate wrapped in thick, frothy cream, and it stays that way from the first sip to the last. There is no bitter edge or sour twist hiding in here, just sugar and dairy. It goes down easy and coats your mouth like a melted milkshake, leaving a lingering mint chocolate aftertaste.

Finish: The finish is long and sweet, with mint and chocolate lingering on the tongue long after the cream fades.

Primary tastes

sweetcreamyherbal

Secondary

fruitynutty

Aroma

mintchocolatecream

Sweetnessvery sweet
This is as sweet as cocktails get, tasting like liquid candy with sugar from both liqueurs and the cream.
Strengthlow alcohol
The alcohol is barely noticeable behind all the sugar and dairy, making it feel light even though there is liquor in it.
Refreshingheavy and rich
The thick cream and heavy sweetness make this a heavy, coating drink rather than something crisp or thirst-quenching.
Creaminessvery creamy
The heavy cream and shaken texture make this drink thick, rich, and coating on the tongue.
Complexitystraightforward
What you smell is what you get: mint and chocolate, with no hidden layers or shifting flavors.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Coupe · equal parts on Crème de Cacao. White (clear) Crème de Cacao is traditional so the drink stays green, not brown.

Before you start

Stick your coupe glass in the freezer for a few minutes if you have time, since this drink is best ice-cold. Pull out your shaker and make sure you have plenty of ice ready.

Ingredients

Crème de CacaoLiqueurWhite/clear, not dark.30ml
Crème de MentheLiqueurGreen Crème de Menthe gives the drink its color and mint kick.30ml
Heavy CreamDairyHeavy cream gives it a rich, thick body; half-and-half works if you want it lighter.30ml

Garnish: Mint sprig

Tools

Cocktail Shaker · Shaking
You need to shake dairy and thick liqueurs hard to get them cold, mixed, and slightly frothy.
At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid.
Jigger · Measuring
Measures the equal parts of liqueur and cream so the drink doesn't turn out too sweet or too thick.
At home: A shot glass or measuring spoon.
Hawthorne Strainer · Straining
Keeps the ice out of the glass when you pour the drink.
At home: A fine mesh kitchen sieve.
Coupe Glass · Serving
Holds the drink and shows off the pale green color.
At home: Any small stemmed glass or even a shallow bowl.

Steps

1
Measure out 30ml of green Crème de Menthe, 30ml of white Crème de Cacao, and 30ml of heavy cream using your jigger. Pour all three into the empty shaker.
!Using dark Crème de Cacao will turn the whole drink a muddy brown instead of green.
2
Fill the shaker to the top with ice cubes. You want a lot of ice so the cream chills fast and gets a good froth when you shake it.
!Underfilling the shaker with ice means the drink won't get cold enough and the cream won't thicken properly.
3
Put the top on the shaker and shake it hard for about 10 to 12 seconds. The shaker should frost over on the outside and feel really cold to your hands when it's done.
~12s
!Shaking too gently leaves the cream flat and the drink thin instead of frothy.
4
Take the top off the shaker and fit your Hawthorne strainer over the opening. Pour the drink into your chilled coupe glass, letting it fill up until you see the thick, pale green liquid reach just below the rim.
!Pouring too fast can splash the thick liquid over the side of the glass.
5
Take a fresh mint sprig and lay it across the top of the drink or stand it up in the glass. The mint aroma will hit your nose right as you take the first sip.
!Using a wilted mint sprig makes the drink look tired before you even taste it.

Serve

Serve it right away in the chilled coupe while it's still frothy and cold. The drink should look pale green with a slight foam on top from the shaken cream.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Heavy Cream

Heavy CreamHalf-and-Half
Match
Common availability
Heavy Cream → Half-and-Half: Makes the drink lighter and thinner, but less rich and coating on the tongue.
Heavy CreamWhole Milk
Match
Common availability
Heavy Cream → Whole Milk: Thins out the texture significantly and makes it taste more like flavored milk than a dessert cocktail.

Swap options for White Crème de Cacao

White Crème de CacaoDark Crème de Cacao
Match
Common availability
White Crème de Cacao → Dark Crème de Cacao: Adds a richer, more bitter chocolate note but turns the drink brown instead of green.

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Similar cocktail

Brandy Alexander

The Brandy Alexander uses brandy as its base instead of Crème de Menthe, swapping the mint for warm, oaky spirit notes.

Match

Both drinks are thick, sweet dessert cocktails, but the Brandy Alexander tastes richer and more grown-up with the warmth of the brandy replacing the cool mint.

In common: shaken dairy dessert cocktail, sweet and rich, served in a coupe

Ingredients

Both share

Crème de Cacao, Heavy Cream

Only in Grasshopper

Crème de Menthe

Only in Brandy Alexander

Brandy

Swapping Crème de Menthe for brandy takes the drink from minty and candy-like to warm and spirit-driven, while keeping the same creamy chocolate base.

Flavor

Shared flavors

rich creamy body, sweet chocolate backbone, dessert-like weight

How Brandy Alexander differs

warmer and boozier, no mint, slightly more alcoholic bite

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Mint Chocolate Chip

The Mint Chocolate Chip adds vodka for strength and uses a cream rinse or float instead of a full cream shake, making it less thick.

Match

They share the same mint-chocolate candy flavor, but the Mint Chocolate Chip hits harder with booze and feels thinner in the mouth compared to the Grasshopper's milkshake-like body.

In common: mint and chocolate flavor, sweet dessert style, shaken

Ingredients

Both share

Crème de Menthe, Crème de Cacao

Only in Grasshopper

Heavy Cream

Only in Mint Chocolate Chip

Vodka, Light Cream

The Mint Chocolate Chip uses vodka to boost the alcohol and lightens the dairy, making it a stronger but less creamy version of the same flavor profile.

Flavor

Shared flavors

mint chocolate flavor, sweet finish, dessert character

How Mint Chocolate Chip differs

stronger alcohol presence, lighter mouthfeel, less coating

View recipe & details →

Similar cocktail

Alexander

The Alexander uses gin as the base, giving it a botanical, herbal edge instead of the Grasshopper's minty sweetness.

Match

Both are creamy chocolate desserts in a glass, but the gin in the Alexander cuts through the sweetness with a dry, botanical bite that the Grasshopper never has.

In common: creamy dessert cocktail, shaken with dairy, sweet and rich

Ingredients

Both share

Crème de Cacao, Heavy Cream

Only in Grasshopper

Crème de Menthe

Only in Alexander

Gin

Replacing the Crème de Menthe with gin removes the minty candy character and adds dry, botanical notes to the creamy chocolate base.

Flavor

Shared flavors

creamy chocolate body, sweet dessert profile, rich mouthfeel

How Alexander differs

botanical and herbal, drier finish, more alcoholic warmth

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The drink is widely credited to Philip Guichet, who supposedly mixed it for a cocktail competition in New Orleans in the 1910s. It gained real popularity decades later in the 1950s and 60s when creamy, sweet after-dinner drinks became a staple of mid-century dining.

Creator: Philip Guichet
Era: 1910s
IBA: Contemporary Classics
Data version: IBA contemporary classics spec
Confidence

The IBA recipe uses equal parts of all three ingredients, which is the most widely accepted modern spec. Some older recipes call for a 2:1:1 ratio favoring the Crème de Menthe.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

Shake it harder than you think to get the cream frothy and thick.
Chill the glass first so the drink stays cold longer.
Use white Crème de Cacao to keep the drink green, not brown.

Avoid

Common mistakes

Don't skip the shaking or the cream will sit flat and separate.
Don't use dark Crème de Cacao unless you don't mind a brown drink.