Crème de menthe

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A small glass of green crème de menthe
A small glass of green crème de menthe

Crème de menthe is a sweet, mint-flavored liqueur. Its flavor is primarily derived from corsican mint. It is available commercially in a colorless (called "white") and a green version (which obtains its color from the mint leaves or from the addition of coloring, if extract and not the leaves are used to make the liqueur). Both varieties have similar flavors and are interchangeable in recipes, except where the color is important.

Crème de menthe is used as an ingredient in several cocktails, such as the Grasshopper and the Vodka Stinger, and is also served as an after-dinner drink and can be used in food recipes as a flavoring (see Mint chocolate).

One recipe for making crème de menthe includes sugar, water, grain alcohol, pure peppermint extract, and the optional green food coloring.[1] A traditional recipe involves steeping dried peppermint leaves in grain alcohol for several weeks (creating a naturally green color), followed by filtration and the addition of sugar. [2]


[edit] In popular culture

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  • The drink is a favorite of Agatha Christie's famed Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot.
  • In Ian Fleming's thriller Thunderball, the favorite drink of the villain Emilio Largo is crème de menthe frappé with a maraschino cherry on top.
  • In the 2002, Danny Boyle horror thriller film 28 Days Later, Frank, Hannah, Jim and Selena enjoy a glass of crème de Menthe each, to celebrate their being the only survivors of the Rage Virus thus far.
  • Creme de menthe was featured as an unwanted drink sold to Eddie and Sean Finnerty in large quantities in the episode "I right the wrongs" of the Grounded for Life series.
  • mentioned by Stewie Griffin in Stewie Griffin: The untold Story.

[edit] References

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