Someone at my office brought in creme de menthe cake for St. Patrick’s day. What is creme de menthe? Is it alcoholic, or is it just a peppermint flavor?
You can buy creme de menthe flavoring for cooking or you can buy the real stuff.
The real stuff has alcohol (~70 proof, I think.)
Tinker
Yeah, it has a bit of alcohol in it, usually around 40 proof. The green and the clear taste exactly the same.
According to my handy little Encyclopedia of Booze, here, virtually all American-made cremes de menthe run sixty proof.
Taken straight, poured over shaved ice, creme de menthe makes a fine after-dinner drink, as mint is an excellent digestive.
It is also an integral part of the classic cocktails the Stinger and the Grasshopper.
60 proof means it’s 30% alcohol. Sounds pretty strong. Although, when it is in a cake frosting, I would expect it’s affect would be weakened. Think I will be able to safely drive home in two hours? I don’t drink much, as you can tell, so a little bit of alcohol really affects me.
I like to pour it over vanilla ice cream. Not as minty as mint ice cream, but It adds some flavor.