Holiday Hopper Cocktail

By
Colleen Graham
Photo of Colleen Graham
Colleen Graham
Freelance writer and cocktail book author Colleen Graham is a seasoned mixologist who loves sharing her knowledge of spirits and passion for preparing drinks.
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Updated on 01/30/23
Holiday Hopper Cocktail

The Spruce / S&C Design Studios

Prep: 3 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 3 mins
Serving: 1 serving
Yield: 1 cocktail

Consider the holiday hopper recipe a grasshopper with a melon twist. It's a little unusual because mint and melon aren't the average flavor pairing, though it is intriguing and worth tasting to see if you enjoy it.

This cocktail was created for Midori by mixologist Victoria Damato-Moran. She did surprisingly well with the challenge of adding the melon-flavored liqueur to one of the most popular "martinis," which is known for its creamy chocolate-mint flavor.

The garnish is cute and it's festive, too. If you place the mint leaves and raspberry just right it looks like Christmas holly and adds to the drink's appeal for the holiday season.

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce melon liqueur

  • 1/2 ounce green crème de menthe liqueur

  • 1/2 ounce white crème de cacao liqueur

  • 2 ounces half-and-half

  • 2 fresh mint leaves, for garnish

  • Fresh raspberry, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a cocktail shaker, pour the melon liqueur, crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and half-and-half.

  3. Fill with ice, and shake well.

  4. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

  5. Garnish with mint leaves and a raspberry. Serve and enjoy.

Tips

  • As with the grasshopper, use white creme de cacao and green creme de menthe to get the perfect green color. Since Midori is included and it's also green, you can get away with white crème de menthe, but dark crème de cacao will muddy it up.
  • Half-and-half is the perfect middle ground among your dairy choices for cocktails. Using cream will create a thicker drink and milk makes it much lighter.
  • This is one drink that is definitely much better in a frosty glass and the colder, the better. Stick your glasses in the freezer for half an hour or so for the deepest chill.

Recipe Variation

  • Serve this cocktail on the rocks in an old-fashioned glass. It makes a tasty, slow-sipping dessert cocktail and becomes even more decadent with a little whipped cream and drizzle of chocolate.
  • It's not a bad idea to adjust the ingredients to suit your taste. Something as simple as increasing the crème de cacao to 1 ounce, then cutting the half-and-half to 1 1/2 ounces can make a big difference.
  • If you prefer, pour a non-dairy cream instead. Almond, rice, or soy milk are good options. Coconut milk may actually be a good choice to marry those unusual melon, mint, and chocolate flavors.

How Strong Is a Holiday Hopper?

Beyond the sweet taste, this cocktail is also pleasantly light. On average, its alcohol content should be just 10 percent ABV (20 proof). That's half the strength of the average martini and more along the lines of drinking a light glass of wine.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
175 Calories
6g Fat
15g Carbs
2g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1
Amount per serving
Calories 175
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 8%
Saturated Fat 4g 21%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 38mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 6%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 15g
Protein 2g
Vitamin C 2mg 8%
Calcium 66mg 5%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 87mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)