Grasshopper Cocktail From Jeffrey Morgenthaler

Author Notes

Not many of us have ordered Grasshoppers in the past 40 years, and it's easy to see why: Traditionally, the drink is equal parts cheap crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and heavy cream—shaken and served in a martini glass—and is precisely the color of milky Astroturf. Portland bartender Jeffrey Morgenthaler's version is much better, and just what you want on a hot night: creamy, sweet, cooling, bitter, and salty—all keeping one another in check. Adapted slightly from Pepe Le Moko and Portland Monthly Magazine. —Genius Recipes

Test Kitchen Notes

I’m not here to tell you about how to make the best Grasshopper Cocktail (at least not yet). I’m here to tell you about what it’s like to live a life of lies. Growing up, my family always watched the Kentucky Derby from home, with Mint Juleps at the ready. I started drinking them at an early age, and fell in love—it took me years (and I mean years!) to find out that what I had come to know as a Mint Julep was not really the bourbon-based cocktail, but a milkshake made with green mint–chocolate chip ice cream. And let me tell you: Ignorance is bliss, and every year when swarms of pastel-clad southerners belt out “My Old Kentucky Home,” I’m right there with them—or rather, on my couch, in solidarity—sipping a tall, minty milkshake. 

What exactly does all this have to do with Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Grasshopper Cocktail? This drink is, in my eyes, the “real” Mint Julep. Equal parts green crème de menthe and white crème de cacao blend together with vanilla ice cream, half-and-half, ice, and an Italian amaro for a creamy, refreshing cocktail. 

It’s worth admitting that the original Grasshopper hails from New Orleans, not Kentucky. It was concocted in the 1910s for a New York City-based cocktail competition. Today, it’s enjoyed sparingly on special occasions. While it never really goes out of style, it tends to peak in popularity during the holiday season, probably thanks to its green hue. The original recipe doesn’t call for Fernet Branca (that’s Morgenthaler’s signature spin), so you can leave it out altogether if you want to enjoy this drink like it’s the roaring ’20s.  —Kelly Vaughan