Crème de Menthe
Crème de menthe is a sweet peppermint liqueur, usually about 24% ABV, sold clear (white) or green, and Difford’s Guide, a secondary source, says colour is the only difference between Bols’s two. "Crème de" is a legal term under Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, setting a sugar floor of 250g per litre; there is no cream involved. In our recipes it cools and sweetens two after-dinner drinks, the Stinger and the Grasshopper.
Quick Facts
Store upright in a cool, dark place away from direct light. Ensure the cap is tightly sealed after use. In our experience it is shelf-stable once opened.
None of the 14 listed allergens. Recipes vary by brand: check the bottle.
About Crème de Menthe
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Clean, cooling mint aroma with pronounced sweetness and a refreshing herbal finish. Intense when overused, crisp and balanced in restrained measures.
Crème de menthe is a peppermint liqueur, and crème means sugar
It is made by steeping or distilling mint in neutral spirit and sweetening the result. Giffard’s Menthe-Pastille, for example, is made from the essential oils of Mitcham peppermint, at 24%. The mint is peppermint, the menthol-led cross, so the liqueur tastes colder and sharper than a drink made with fresh mint, which is spearmint.
In GB law, any liqueur needs 15% ABV or more and 100g/L of sugar. Calling it "crème de" raises the sugar floor to 250g per litre. The word refers to sugar, and the bottle holds no dairy.
White and green taste the same
Difford’s Guide, a secondary source, says the colour is the only difference between Bols’s two. Pick by how the drink should look; the table sets the two bottles beside the fresh herb they are often confused with.
Crème de menthe beside fresh mint (sugar floors from Regulation (EC) No 110/2008; strengths are typical figures; the drinks are ours)
White crème de menthe
- Strength
- About 24% (20 to 30%)
- Sugar
- At least 250g/L
- Mint
- Peppermint; clear
- In our recipes
- Stinger
Green crème de menthe
- Strength
- About 24% (20 to 30%)
- Sugar
- At least 250g/L
- Mint
- Peppermint; coloured green
- In our recipes
- Grasshopper
Fresh mint
- Strength
- None
- Sugar
- None
- Mint
- Spearmint; aroma only
- In our recipes
- Mojito, Mint Julep
| Strength | Sugar | Mint | In our recipes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White crème de menthe | About 24% (20 to 30%) | At least 250g/L | Peppermint; clear | Stinger |
| Green crème de menthe | About 24% (20 to 30%) | At least 250g/L | Peppermint; coloured green | Grasshopper |
| Fresh mint | None | None | Spearmint; aroma only | Mojito, Mint Julep |
It belongs in short, cold after-dinner drinks
Both of our recipes use 20ml. The Stinger stirs the white with 50ml of cognac for 20 to 30 seconds and strains it over crushed ice. The Grasshopper shakes the green hard for 10 to 12 seconds with white crème de cacao and cream, then double strains it. Mint and chocolate suit each other; against cognac, mint lifts a drink that would otherwise sit heavy.
Fresh mint and the liqueur do different jobs
The liqueur brings sugar, alcohol and a colder mint; fresh leaves bring aroma and almost nothing else. Put the liqueur in place of leaves and both the balance and the kind of mint change. In our experience, once open, a bottle holds up for a year or more with the cap screwed back on and the sun kept off it, and the mint fades before anything else.
Using Crème de Menthe
Usage
Measured, never free-poured: 20ml in both of our recipes. The Stinger stirs white crème de menthe with cognac and pours it over crushed ice; the Grasshopper shakes the green with white crème de cacao and cream. Outside those, a barspoon cools a drink and stops short of making it taste of mint.
Pro Tip
If a Stinger tastes of mouthwash, cut the crème de menthe before you change anything else. The drink is cognac with a cooling edge, and 20ml against 50ml of cognac already carries plenty of sugar.
Top Tips
- Buy white if you will own one bottle. It does everything the green does except colour a Grasshopper.
- Measure it. With 250g of sugar or more in every litre, a free pour takes over the balance of a drink.
- Check the label when you change brands; bottlings run from about 20 to 30% ABV.
- Keep it upright, cap tight, in a dark cupboard. In our experience, opened, it lasts a year or more, and the mint fades slowly over that time.
Possible Substitutions
- Fresh mint syrup (less alcoholic, fresher character)
Production Method
Mint, usually peppermint, is steeped or steam-distilled into neutral spirit and the result is sweetened to the 250g of sugar per litre or more that Regulation (EC) No 110/2008 asks of a crème de. Green bottlings are coloured; the flavour is the same as the white.
More to explore
Common Questions
What is crème de menthe?
Is crème de menthe alcoholic?
What is the difference between white and green crème de menthe?
Does crème de menthe have cream in it?
What drinks use crème de menthe?
Does crème de menthe go off once opened?
Can I use crème de menthe instead of fresh mint?
Sources.
Correct as of 16 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EC) No 110/2008, Annex II (retained)”.
- Giffard, “Menthe-Pastille” (producer’s product page (24%; essential oils of Mitcham peppermint)).
- Difford’s Guide, “Bols Peppermint White” (secondary source (white and green differ only in colour)).
Made with Crème de Menthe
Featured In These Cocktails
Often Used With
Updated 16 October 2026