Cooking Lesson #414: Frozen Grasshopper Cocktail

…from the California Happy Hour Bar

How you doin’? I was reading an article the other day that we, humans, can expect to be eating insects as a protein source by 2031. I’ve seen fried ants and roasted bees as novelties over the years. I tried them and once I got past the yuk-factor I was okay with it, I guess. But now you can enjoy grasshoppers in a boozy frozen cocktail. Even though it’s green, I have it on good authority that no grasshoppers are injured or killed in the making of this drink.

Okay, let’s get real here. My boozy Grasshopper Cocktail is a vintage after dinner ice cream drink that never really goes out of style. Crème de Menthe and Crème de Cacao blended with vanilla ice cream and served with whipped cream is a great cocktail or adult dessert in a glass.
 
The original non-ice cream version of a Grasshopper is over 100 years old. Bartender Philibert Guichet invented the drink that would become known as the Grasshopper, for a 1918 cocktail competition in New York City. Guichet's cocktail secured a second-place finish and became so popular back home in New Orleans, that it's held a permanent spot on the Tujague's cocktail menu ever since.
 
You’ll need a blender and vanilla ice cream, crème de menthe and crème de cacao. Also  consider some chocolate fudge syrup and whipped cream. The last two items are optional, but they make them so much more festive.
 
Prep time:  5 minutes
Yield: 1 large cocktail
Ingredients
1 ounce Crème de Menthe (the green stuff)
1 ounce Crème de Cacao
1-1/2 cups vanilla ice cream
Garnish with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and chocolate curls (optional)
 
Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients (except the optional ingredients) in a blender and pulse until it's the consistency of a milkshake.
2. Pour into a prepared glass and serve.
3. Garnish with chocolate syrup, whipped cream and chocolate curls if desired.

ChefSecret:  Be a little artistic. To get the chocolate drips down the glass… melt some chocolate chips in your microwave. Turn the glass upside down and dunk into the melted chocolate.

Quip of the Day:  Grasshoppers are widely believed to be representatives of good fortune. Unlike their cousins, locusts, these insects rarely harm the crops and are, therefore, harbingers of prosperity.
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