🥃 Grasshopper
A sweet cream cocktail of pale green colour made from equal parts green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and fresh cream. It is the signature drink of the New Orleans restaurant Tujague's.
The Grasshopper is a sweet cream cocktail of pale green colour. In the recipe of the International Bartenders Association (IBA) it is shaken with ice from equal parts green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and fresh cream, then served in a chilled cocktail glass.
Origins. The New Orleans restaurant Tujague's, founded in 1856, considers the Grasshopper its signature drink. According to family legend, its owner Philip Guichet won second place with it at a cocktail contest in New York in 1918. Difford's Guide notes that no documents confirm such a contest, and William Boothby described a layered drink of mint liqueur and cacao liqueur as early as 1908.
Composition and taste. Cream came later, and it turned a layered after-dinner drink into a shaken dessert cocktail. The taste combines fresh mint, chocolate and creamy softness, while the green crème de menthe gives the colour. Tujague's own version is more complex: two kinds of cacao liqueur, two kinds of mint liqueur, cream and a little brandy.
Family. The Grasshopper is a close relative of the Alexander, which also uses cacao liqueur and cream, but its base is gin or brandy. In 1950 American newspapers argued over whether the drink had appeared in Milwaukee or Minneapolis. Today the IBA lists the Grasshopper among the contemporary classics.
Why this matters to you. Sweetness and cream mask the alcohol: two liqueurs together give a noticeable strength, although the drink tastes like a dessert. It is also rich in sugar and milk fat, which matters for people with lactose intolerance. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Raw material | green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao, fresh cream (IBA recipe) |
|---|---|
| Alcohol (% vol.) | depends on the liqueurs; crème de menthe and crème de cacao in the EU are at least 15% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Grasshopper → kind of → 🍸 Liqueurs → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🥃 Crème de menthe, 🥃 Crème de cacao, 🥛 Cream
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health
- Related to
- 🌍 North America
- Part of
- 🍸 Liqueurs
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Alexander
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that the Grasshopper was invented at a New York contest in 1918?
That is a family legend of the Tujague's restaurant. Difford's Guide notes that no documents confirm the contest, and a similar layered drink was described as early as 1908.
What goes into a Grasshopper?
According to the IBA, 20 ml each of green crème de menthe, white crème de cacao and fresh cream.
Why is the drink green?
Its colour comes from the green crème de menthe; the white crème de cacao and cream only lighten it to a soft pale green.
How does the Grasshopper differ from the Alexander?
The Alexander has gin or brandy instead of mint liqueur, so it is stronger and less sweet; both share cacao liqueur and cream.
How is a Grasshopper served?
The ingredients are shaken with ice and strained into a chilled cocktail glass; sometimes it is garnished with a mint leaf.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🌍 North America — US and Canada: 9.5 million US cows gave 232 billion lb of milk (2025); Wisconsin makes a quarter of US cheese; Canada runs on dairy quotas.
Similar
🥃 Angel Face · 🥃 Between the Sheets · 🥃 Dark 'n' Stormy · 🥃 Eggnog · 🥃 Gin Fizz · 🥃 Bramble
Sources
- IBA (International Bartenders Association): Grasshopper, Contemporary Classics — 20 ml white crème de cacao, 20 ml green crème de menthe, 20 ml fresh cream; shake, chilled cocktail glass
- Difford's Guide: Grasshopper — signature cocktail of Tujague's (opened 1856); no documentary evidence of the New York competition legend; layered version in W. Boothby, World's Drinks and How to Mix Them (1908); 1950 newspapers on Milwaukee and Minneapolis
- Tujague's Restaurant: History — founded 1856 by Guillaume and Marie Abadie Tujague; Philip Guichet Sr. bought it around 1914; Grasshopper introduced at Tujague's
- Explore Louisiana (Louisiana Office of Tourism): Grasshopper cocktail recipe — Tujague's version and the 1918 competition story
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)