White Creme De Menthe
A clear, mint-flavored liqueur - the same flavor as the green version, without the added color.
Origin
France, following the broader creme de menthe tradition, with the clear "white" version distinguished from its green counterpart by the absence of added coloring.
History
Creme de menthe follows France's long tradition of sweet, flavored liqueurs, with mint's cooling, refreshing character making it a popular after-dinner digestif flavor since at least the 19th century. The white (clear) version contains identical mint flavoring to the more familiar green variety, the only difference being the addition (or omission) of green food coloring, making white creme de menthe useful whenever a recipe wants mint flavor without turning a drink an unnatural shade of green, as in a white-colored Grasshopper variation or a clear mint cocktail.
Flavor profile
Sweet and intensely minty, identical in flavor to green creme de menthe.
Tasting notes
A clean, cooling peppermint sweetness, useful specifically for its lack of color when a recipe wants mint flavor without the bright green hue its counterpart would add.
Substitutes
- Green creme de menthe, for an identical flavor if color isn't a concern.
- Peppermint schnapps, for a related but slightly different mint liqueur substitute.
- A drop of peppermint extract with simple syrup, as a homemade approximation.
