Many commercial brands use artificial ingredients in their recipes but the homemade version uses mint leaves. Recipe for crème de menthe As liqueurs go, creme de menthe doesn’t have the most sterling of reputations. Many drinkers are understandably put off by the pungent mint aroma and the technicolor green hue, which is invariably due to a whole lot of artificial color. Of course, creme de menthe comes in two varieties, and in fact, most higher-end creme de menthe is available only in the “white” (transparent) expression because there’s no reliable way to create a stable green color at lower abvs without using artificial color. After steeping for several days, sugar is added to provide the signature sweetness associated with crème de menthe. It’s key to use it sparingly to prevent the potential for an overpowering or cloying taste in recipes.

Creme de menthe is a liqueur made by adding mint leaves or extract to neutral alcohol, after which it’s filtered, sweetened, lightly aged and bottled. As with many other liquor categories, it was originally used as a digestif, developed in France by Emile Giffard in the late 1800s. Green versions get their hue either from the macerated mint leaves or from natural or artificial coloring agents.The minty flavor of this liqueur comes from the infusion of grain alcohol with either mint or peppermint leaves or extracts. Crème de menthe is a liqueur with a distinct minty flavor that comes from the infusion of mint or peppermint in grain alcohol.

Creme de menthe is perhaps most commonly seen together with creme de cacao and heavy cream in a Grasshopper or alongside cognac in a Stinger. But despite its reputation as an overly sweet and often artificially colored hooch, quality creme de menthe can be so much more. Mint liqueurs primarily come in two varieties: green and white. The green variety, such as Crème de Menthe, is typically coloured with chlorophyll and offers a sweet flavour profile along with its minty freshness. White mint liqueurs, in contrast, forgo the colouring, offering a clear appearance but maintaining the minty taste that characterises the spirit.Some notable white creme de menthe brands are Giffard Menthe Pastille, DeKuyper Crème de Menthe White Liqueur, and Bols Peppermint White Liqueur. These can also be found at most local liquor stores. Neon green and more a syrup than the cream the name suggests – crème de menthe is a favourite in France where it was invented by a pharmacist called Emile Giffard. He worked as a dispensing chemist but he was also a gourmet and was intrigued by the digestive qualities of mint. In 1885 he invented a white mint liqueur. It was so popular with his customers, he turned the chemist into a distillery. He called his digestif Menthe-Pastille and became a wealthy man. The Giffard family continue to make liqueurs to this day… Creme de menthe has a very sweet flavor with a strong cooling peppermint finish. It’s similar to peppermint schnapps, but schnapps is more medicinal with a strong spicy finish. While some may find the taste of crème de menthe to be overpowering, it can be an excellent ingredient when used sparingly and intelligently in recipes. Crème de menthe ( pronounced [kʁɛm də mɑ̃t], French for "mint cream") is a sweet, mint-flavored alcoholic beverage. It is available commercially in a colorless version (called "white") and a green version (colored by the mint leaves or by added coloring if made from extract instead of leaves). [1] Both varieties have similar flavor and are interchangeable in recipes, except where color is important. It is usually made with Corsican mint or peppermint, which is steeped in grain alcohol for several weeks before it is filtered and sweetened to create the final product. It typically has 25% alcohol by volume.