Not to be upstaged by my earlier retro cocktail, “The Pink Squirrel“, this cocktail, “The Grasshopper”, is making a huge comeback as well! And it goes to figure, because chocolate, cream and mint go together like the friends you had when you were 12! The true meaning of “best friends”, inseparable, and rarely do we ever find that kind of friendship in people for the rest of our lives.
Obviously, this after-dinner drink gets it’s name from the the green-colored Creme de Menthe, but why “grasshopper”? Maybe it’s creator, Philibert Guichet Jr., (owner of Tajuque’s bar located in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana), had some pretty good friends as a child, too? 😉 We may never know! But he created it for a cocktail contest being held in New York in 1928, ironically before Prohibition ended, and took second place!
Philibert’s original contest entry was comprised of just one ounce each Green Creme de Menthe, Creme de Cacao and cream, but there are several variations to this cool, minty, chocolatey, treat-in-a-glass over the years!
A “Flying Grasshopper” will get you a completely different style of drink that uses vodka instead of cream. And a “Brown Grasshopper”, (a cricket perhaps? 😉 ), adds coffee to the whole mixture!
But knowing that I had some Ben & Jerry’s Mint Chocolate Cookie Ice Cream in the freezer had me sold on trying the version commonly served in Wisconsin that blends mint chocolate ice cream into this drink instead of cream and turning it into an adult-style childhood treat just like an old-fashioned milkshake – – but with a little kick! 😉 It’s also usually garnished with crushed chocolate cream-filled sandwich cookies, but I skipped that part being that the ice cream already had that in there. 😉
You can add as much or little liqueurs to this “milkshake” as you like, but I suppose it really just depends on how “minty” your ice-cream is, and how “festive” of a mood you want to end up being in! 😉
But this I can tell you, when it’s unexpectedly 90+ degrees and humid, you’ll definitely want to whirl a few of these creamy, chocolate-mint frozen cocktails in the blender to help beat the heat and just chill for a bit! That cool, creamy, minty chocolatey taste went down like a dream on a blisteringly hot day! 😉
So after seeing the incredibly interesting historical events that happened during the last retro drink made, I thought I’d end with what happened in 1928! 😀
The beloved cartoon character, “Mickey Mouse”, first appears in “Steamboat Willie”, the first Yo-Yo factory opens, and “The House at Pooh Corner” by A. A. Milne is published in England.
Amelia Earhart is the first woman to successfully fly in an aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean while Charles Lindbergh is awarded the Medal of Honor for his first trans-Atlantic flight. The Iron Lung was invented, along with the first Pregnancy test, and Penicillin, which saved millions of lives and continues to do so today.
The novel, “Lady Chatterly’s Lover”, was banned in the U. S. and England for being too explicit, the first U. S. air-conditioned office building opened, Kellogg’s Rice Krispies first appeared on the market, and our 31st President, Herbert Hoover, was elected.
Andy Warhol, Shirley Temple, “Mr. Rogers” , James Garner, Adam West (TV’s “Batman”), Bob Crane, Dick York, Bo Diddley, “Spanky”, James Coburn, and Dr. Ruth Westheimer were all born. Ronald Reagan attended Eureka College while the 1920’s were in full swing and roaring, Prohibition was in effect, the gangsters made millions on illegal alcohol, and Elliot Ness chased Al Capone all over Chicago.
The first television set was sold, and Babe Ruth hits 10 for 16 in the 1928 World Series where the New York Yankees swept the St. Louis Cardinals to win in four games 27 to 10.
And lastly, a must-see video! “Driving around New York City – 1928”!
Next time we complain about stoplights, we might remember this video! WOW!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkqz3lpUBp0
Hope you enjoyed today’s post and have a wonderful day! 😀
RETRO FROZEN GRASSHOPPER COCKTAIL with CHOCOLATE MINT ICE CREAM
Makes 1 cocktail (*Use lesser amount for a light drink, greater amount for more potent)
1/2 cup chocolate mint ice cream
1/8 – 1/4 cup Green Creme de Menthe
1/8 – 1/4 cup Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur or Creme de Cacao
1/4 cup crushed ice, more if needed especially if adding more liqueurs
crushed Oreo’s for garnish, optional
DIRECTIONS:
Place all ingredients into blender except Oreo’s and blend until smooth. *Adjust liqueurs to suit your own taste. Pour into deep martini glass and garnish with crushed Oreo’s if desired.
