NATIONAL CREME DE MENTHE DAY | SEPTEMBER 15
National Crème de Menthe Day on September 15th recognizes the creamy peppermint-flavored liqueur used in cocktails and desserts. Enjoy your favorite combination to celebrate!
#CremeDeMentheDay
Many of the liqueurs we enjoy today started as tonics and cure-alls. And we thank pharmacists for bringing them into existence. Crème de menthe (mint cream) is one of those liqueurs. French pharmacist, Emile Giffard, studied the cooling and digestive properties of mint. His research led him to a recipe for crème de menthe.
Crème de menthe is sweet and mint leaves (usually Corsican mint) give crème de menthe its green color. However, when extracted, the liqueur is colorless. This form of the liqueur is called white crème de menthe. Unless color is essential, both varieties have similar flavors and are interchangeable in recipes.
The traditional formula involves steeping dried peppermint or Corsican mint leaves in grain alcohol for several weeks. This method creates a natural green color. The following steps include filtration and the addition of sugar.
Several cocktails include crème de menthe as an ingredient. Two popular cocktails include Grasshopper and Stinger. Because of mint’s digestive qualities, crème de menthe makes an excellent after-dinner drink. Also popular in the kitchen, it is used in many recipes as a flavoring. To make a chilly adult milkshake mix crème de menthe with ice cream. Add chopped pecans or shaved chocolate as a garnish.
HOW TO OBSERVE CREME DE MENTHE DAY
Try crème de menthe for the first time or the hundredth. Add it to a dessert or mix up a cocktail. Stir in some chocolate for a mint chocolate flair. Encourage your favorite restaurant or dessert shop to celebrate the day, too. Give them a shout-out for their amazing creations, too. If you don’t have a recipe to try at home, check these out:
Creme de Menthe Squares
Grasshopper Pudding
Share your crème de menthe recipes. Use #CremeDeMentheDay to post on social media.
NATIONAL CREME DE MENTHE HISTORY
While National Day Calendar continues seeking the origins of this dessert holiday, we’ll be sure to update you when we do.
Creme de Menthe FAQ
Q. Is cream an ingredient in Creme de Menthe?
A. Despite the liqueur’s name, it contains no cream.
Q. Should I drink Cream de Menthe straight?
A. You can, though it is more often mixed with other ingredients to create a cocktail.
