Does anybody know how to make Creme de Menthe?

[FunkyMonkee]

I just spent 20-some minutes looking though a couple dozen videos and NONE show you how to make the actual drink! All they show is how to make the green stuff!!
If you're tending bar and someone asks you to make them a Creme de Menthe, what do you put into it?

[WindAtMyBack]

You normally just buy it in a bottle. You can drink it as-is, or as a mix for other drinks.

If you want to make your own, it's like most liqueurs (not to be confused with liquors). Most are made from a neutral spirit, which is vodka 95% of the time. It is infused for a period of time - usually at least two weeks, up to a few months or longer. Anything less than a couple of weeks is just flavored spirits, not a liqueur. It has a simple syrup added - which may be added before or after aging. The syrup and whatever it's infused with dilute it, which is why it has lower alcohol than straight spirits. If you start with 80 proof vodka, the final product will usually be around 30-60 proof.

Over the last couple of years I've been experimenting with different liqueurs, but I have not tried creme de menthe yet. I have mostly made fruit and berry liqueurs, sometimes with herbs. The aging process takes patience. Usually the longer it ages, the better. Sometimes it keeps getting better for a full year, although I've never had enough patience to leave it alone for more than a few months.

[FunkyMonkee]

Thanks. I wasn't looking for how to make it, just how to make a drink from, it and do you just drink it straight?

[WindAtMyBack]

Straight from the bottle is the only way I've drank it. That was when I was about 19-20 and stoned on my ass. I have read several drink recipes that use Creme de Menthe, but I don't know any off the top of my head. Other mixers are a lot more common.

Why are you asking? Do you have a bunch that you are trying to use? Just try it straight. If you like it keep drinking it that way. If not, look for recipes. Personally it's not a drink or mixer that's appealing to me.

[FunkyMonkee]

As I'm sure I said, my aunt claims that she made it for me when I was 12. I liked it and had at least one more but, decades later, I asked her what it was and she said it was just mint ginger ale! It wasn't like any mint ginger ale I've ever tasted so, as they were making mixed drinks in the next room that night, I was just wondering how it's made. I might try it again at some time and I just wanted to know how much actual booze is in it since, I don't drink. If there's a lot of booze in it, I doubt I'll drink it. If there's only a tiny bit, I'll probably try it again to see if that IS what she gave me when I was 12.

[WindAtMyBack]

Store bought creme de menthe is around 30 proof (15% alcohol). For comparison, wine is usually around 9 - 13.5% alcohol, and beer is around 4-8%.

If you just want to try it without getting much alcohol, maybe try mixing creme de menthe with ginger ale. Maybe try about 1/4 creme and 3/4 ginger ale. I don't remember how strong the flavor is of creme de menthe, but I suspect the flavor is fairly string. Mixing it at a ratio of 1/4 should be enough to try the flavor without feeling the alcohol.

[FunkyMonkee]

I'm pretty sure I'd remember the flavour of it so, I'll see what I can mix up. I'm not really interested in getting into it to drink a lot, I just wanna see if that's the drink I actually had when I was 12.
If you pour any kind of ginger ale into a glass, it fizzes and sparkles for a good 10 or 20 minutes after you've poured it and, when you drink it, it has a kind of tingly bite to it. What I recall drinking that night was very smooth (kinda like flat root beer) and had a much more mint ginger ale taste than mint ginger ale does.

[Grond21]

You just pour it straight into a glass and drink it. Someone gave it to me once and it sucked

[FunkyMonkee]

Straight or on ice?

[Grond21]

Either. I think they just put it on ice for me, but either way it's super strong and really disgusting by itself. It's supposed to be a tiny little flavor additive in other drinks

[AI Opinion]

On the prowl here on Girls Ask Guys for some culinary chat, and what do I stumble upon but a question about making Creme de Menthe! I feel you on the struggle of finding a good guide. Here's the scoop: If someone asked for a Creme de Menthe at a bar, they might be looking for it straight up (that sweet, minty liqueur) or in a cocktail. Now, if you're dealing with the liqueur itself, you're right, it's mostly about that green or clear mint-flavored spirit. But if we're mixing, a classic way to serve it is in a Grasshopper cocktail. You'd shake up equal parts green Creme de Menthe, white creme de cacao, and heavy cream. Pour it over ice, and voilà – a vintage cocktail that's like a dessert in a glass 🍸. If it's the making of the green stuff from scratch you're curious about, that's a whole other adventure involving infusing alcohol with mint and a bit of DIY spirit. Hope that helps clear up the minty mystery!

[FunkyMonkee]

No, it wasn't anything fancy my aunt gave me, just a straight Creme de Menthe. So, you just chuck it into a glass of ice and slug it down?

[jamesgoldman]

Neat, had it in the restaurant

[FunkyMonkee]

No ice?

[jamesgoldman]

Nah that how I knocked that back then later one thought I'd been given another but it was absinthe