crème de menthe

Dale DeGroff’s Grasshopper

A textbook example of the New Orleans cocktail.

John deBary’s Stinger

John deBary's version of the Stinger includes a splash of high-proof gin for brightness and complexity.

Peppermint Bark Eggnog

Tom Macy’s single-serve riff on eggnog blends flavors of chocolate and mint with rum and Cognac.

William Elliott’s Stinger

By design, this improved Stinger is diamond-clear like a Martini.

Blended Grasshopper

The most famous contemporary take calls on ice cream and Fernet Branca.

Bringing Chocolate Back: DIY Crème de Cacao

Crème de cacao, a bittersweet liqueur made from cacao, has been dismissed as a bygone oddity from the cocktail's darker, disco days. But it's back and more balanced than ever.…

• story: Kenzi Wilbur
• photo: Everjean

Stinger

This iconic pre-Prohibition cocktail—an unlikely combo of white crème de menthe and cognac shaken and served up—stormed bar menus in the 1920s, becoming a favorite among high society.

Doug Phillips’s Grasshopper

This Midwestern interpretation swaps cream for ice cream, fortified with Cognac.

Polar Bear

A cool and smoky play on the Stinger, Trick Dog's Polar Bear cocktail is simple, yet highly effective.