The Irish Coffee Grasshopper combines the warmth of an Irish Coffee with the mint-chocolate combination of a Grasshopper. Irish Whiskey, hot coffee and cream meet Crème de Menthe and Crème de Cacao. The result is a creamy, slightly sweet coffee drink with a subtle mint note and chocolate aroma. The combination of warm coffee and cool liqueurs creates an interesting temperature contrast in the glass.
And here’s what you need for the Irish Coffee Grasshopper
4 cl Irish Whiskey
2 cl Crème de Menthe (green)
2 cl Crème de Cacao (white)
10 cl hot coffee
3 cl lightly whipped cream
What matters
The cream should only be lightly whipped, not stiff. It still needs to be fluid enough to slowly flow over the inverted bar spoon onto the coffee and form a layer there. Too stiff cream sinks or clumps. The green Crème de Menthe tints the coffee slightly greenish, giving the drink its name. If you don’t want this, use white Crème de Menthe. The whiskey should not be too peaty, otherwise it will completely overpower the mint-chocolate note.
Variations
- Cold Irish Coffee Grasshopper — Serve with cold coffee over ice in a Tumbler, cream on top
- Bourbon Coffee Grasshopper — Use Bourbon Whiskey instead of Irish Whiskey for more vanilla-caramel notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Which coffee should I use best?
A medium-strong filter coffee or Americano works well. Espresso is too intense and overpowers the liqueur aromas. The coffee should be freshly brewed and hot, but not boiling.
Can I leave out the cream?
The cream is important for the texture and softens the sweetness of the liqueurs. Without it, the drink becomes significantly sweeter and loses the typical Irish Coffee character.
Why green Crème de Menthe?
The green version gives the drink its name and the characteristic color. Flavor-wise, white mint liqueur is identical, just colorless.
