As with other “crème de” liqueurs, this term comes from the French phrase “crème de la crème” meaning the “best of the best” and does not mean the liqueur contains any cream. “Menthe” is the French for mint. To make their Crème de Menthe liqueur, De Kuyper use the oil extracted from fresh mint leaves which is then distilled and infused into a fine spirit. Other ingredients according to De Kuyper’s own recipe are then added – such as sugar and colouring. Once the blend has been made, the mixture is then allowed to marry for several weeks to develop a fuller flavour.
Generally the De Kuyper Crème de Menthe referred to on the in-the-spirit website is the Green style unless otherwise specified. Some liqueur producers make a clear version – often referred to as “white” but this is very difficult to find and is most likely to be found in the collection of an exclusive cocktail bar rather than in your local supermarket.
De Kuyper Crème de Menthe Green is 24% ABV.