@slkinsey and I have been separately iterating on the Grasshopper based on the axiom that anything crème de menthe can do, Branca Menta can do better, with the sole exception of making a drink green.
As is our inclination, we have also been heading in the direction of making the drink a bit more “adult”. The spec I’m currently enjoying is this:
0.75 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 oz Branca Menta
0.5 oz Brizard crème de cacao
0.5 oz Varnelli Caffé Moka
1.5 oz cream (or half-and-half or whole milk)
0.5 tsp macha
Notes:
- the Rittenhouse provides a spine without imposing itself too much; I’m sure cognac would work fine, too
- the Varnelli Caffé Moka is a little esoteric, but it’s also a lot more interesting than simple crème de cacao; one could certainly omit it and bump up the crème de cacao to 1 oz; if you haven’t tried the Varnelli, keep an eye out for it
- I think cream, half-and-half and whole milk all work fine
- the macha is mainly just there to make the drink green, it works, and it does add some flavor of its own; totally optional; you could also use a green food coloring