The winter season brings about an onslaught of peppermint flavored candies, cookies, drinks, and desserts, and yet whipping up a batch of homemade crème de menthe can let you keep creating mouthwatering, minty concoctions long after winters has disappeared. Keep your crème de menthe clear or add a few drops of green food coloring for a dramatic effect, but remember to always have a batch on hand in case the urge for a grasshopper or a stinger hits you out of nowhere.
Homemade Crème de Menthe
Making a batch of crème de menthe from home is relatively easy and will take about half a day to complete. This specific recipe yields about eight servings, and needs to be stored in a dark, cool area to last for at least a year. Bottling your crème de menthe in an airtight container can help make it last indefinitely.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups mint leaves, divided
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 375 milliliters vodka
- 3 drops green food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- In a large container, muddle 1 cup of the mint leaves and add the vodka.
- Steep the vodka and mint for about twelve hours.
- Strain the mint leaves from the mixture, making sure to remove them all from the vodka.
- In a small pot, combine the water, sugar, and the remaining half cup of mint. Stir and simmer over medium heat.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, let it cool; strain out the mint leaves.
- Pour the mint simple syrup into the vodka and mix.
- Add three drops of green food coloring and stir well.
- Pour the mixture into a glass container and seal.
Crème de SpearMenthe
If you struggle with the strong peppermint flavor of most crème de menthe recipes, try substituting spearmint leaves for the regular mint leaves that the mixture requires. Spearmint leaves have a less severe minty flavor resulting in a batch of crème de menthe that doesn't bite back. This batch yields about eight servings and can last indefinitely when stored in a sealable container.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups spearmint leaves, divided
- 1½ sugar
- 1 cup water
- 375 milliliters vodka
- 3 drops green food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- In a large container, muddle 1 cup of spearmint leaves and add the vodka.
- Steep the vodka and spearmint for about twelve hours.
- Strain the mint leaves from the mixture, making sure to remove them all from the vodka.
- In a small pot, combine the water, sugar, and the remaining half cup of mint. Stir and simmer over medium heat.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, let it cool; strain out the spearmint leaves.
- Pour the spearmint simple syrup into the vodka and mix.
- Add three drops of green food coloring and stir well.
- Pour the mixture into a glass container and seal.
Sugar-Free Crème de Menthe
An easy way to make a crème de menthe recipe friendlier to those who have to regulated their sugar intake or have completely removed sugar from their diets entirely is to substitute it with different sweetener. Since the sugar is used to create a mint simple syrup, you can always substitute a sugar free simple syrup to the recipe and double the mint leaves being used in the infusion process. This recipe yields about eight individual servings and can last indefinitely in an airtight container.
Ingredients
- 1½ cups mint leaves, divided
- 1 ½ stevia or other sweetener
- 1 cup water
- 375 milliliters vodka
Instructions
- In a large container, muddle one cup of the mint leaves and add the vodka.
- Steep the vodka and mint for about twelve hours.
- Strain the mint leaves from the mixture, making sure to remove them all from the vodka.
- In a small pot, combine the water, sweetener, and the remaining ½ cup of mint. Stir and simmer over medium heat.
- Once the sweetener has dissolved, let it cool; strain out the mint leaves.
- Pour the mint simple syrup into the vodka and mix.
- Pour the mixture into a glass container and seal.
Enjoy a Sweet, Minty Treat
While some people only associate mint flavored treats with the winter holidays, those who've had a taste of a crème de menthe cocktail know that you can't only enjoy one during a solitary season. Help spread the love for peppermint flavored drinks such as the adult shamrock shake by gifting your friends a batch of your own homemade crème de menthe so that they can enjoy these drinks year-round as well.
