Making Creme de Menthe at home is easy and only takes a couple days to have a delicious, smooth liquor to add to any drink for a minty kick.
Jump to RecipeIn the warmer months, our garden always has an overabundance of mint growing. We use it in drinks such as Strawberry Mojitos and in other recipes. Then we decided to take a shot at making some Creme de Menthe. (Get it, take a shot? Alcoholic drink? Shot glass?) We have made our own vanilla extract before, so I figured it couldn’t be too hard to make some creme de menthe in a similar fashion.
Justin’s brother enjoys drinks using Creme de Menthe, so we made the first batch for him for his birthday one year. It was so good and smooth. We decided we needed to make some for ourselves as well. The fresher the mint leaves, the more flavor your liquor will have. As I said, these leaves came straight from the garden, so they were about as fresh as could be!
When making an extract, or a creme de anything, it works best to use some very cheap vodka. Our local liquor store sells some vodka for less than $5 for a bottle of 375ml which is a perfect amount for something like this. And at that price, it makes this creme de menthe so much cheaper than buying it already made. At our local store, the small bottles are behind the counter, not out on the floor. I’m not sure why, but that’s where I found it.
Start with a container large enough to hold the vodka and mint leaves. We used a 16oz mason jar to start with, but once we completed all of the steps, this wasn’t enough. A 24oz mason jar would work the whole way through.

Creme de Menthe Step by Step
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mint leaves
- 375 ml cheap vodka
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Preparation
Tear up the mint leaves to help release the juice.

Pour the vodka into your container, and add the mint. Let the mint leaves sit for about 12 hours (or longer). We started

Strain the mint leaves out. To do this, we used some cheesecloth and the ring for another mason jar to pour the vodka into while straining.

Make a simple syrup by boiling sugar and water together until the sugar is completely dissolved.

Add the simple syrup to the strained vodka.

Tear up the rest of the mint leaves and add those to the mixture. Let it steep again for another 10-12 hours.

Strain it out a second time. Sometimes, depending on how well it strains, you may have to do it a third time to make sure all the mint leaves are out. At this point, you have your own creme de menthe. If you want your creme de menthe to have the traditional green flavor, add a tiny amount of green food coloring to the liquid.
Store the liquor in a resealable container and it will keep for a few months. This recipe makes a very smooth version of creme de menthe and is a great addition to so many drinks! You could also use it as a gift for family, friends, or neighbors for the holidays.


Creme de Menthe Recipe
Originally Published On: March 13, 2019
Last Updated On: June 28, 2023

Creme de Menthe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups mint leaves
- 375 ml cheap vodka
- 1 cup water
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Tear up 1 cup of the mint leaves and place them in a jar
- Pour the vodka over the top of the mint leaves and let steep for about 12 hours uncovered
- Strain the mint leaves from the vodka
- Boil the water and sugar together until the sugar has completely dissolved, stirring constantly, letting it simmer for about 5 minutes to make simple syrup
- Add the simple syrup to the vodka and the rest of the mint leaves
- Let the mixture steep for another 10-12 hours uncovered to let the heat escape
- Strain the mint leaves out, making sure to remove all of them
- Add a few drops of green food coloring if desired
- Store the Creme de Menthe in a resealable container
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutrition content will vary based on brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes, and more.
More Cocktail Drink Recipes to try
- 5 Ingredient Rum Runner Cocktail Recipe
- Amaretto Punch Slush
- Christmas Morning Sunrise Cocktail
- Prosecco Mimosa Recipe
- Homemade Creme de Menthe + Drink Recipes
- Spiked Hot Apple Cider
- Coquito aka Puerto Rican Eggnog
- Frozen Piña Colada
- Strawberry Pineapple Daiquiri
- Blackberry Mint Julep: Refreshing Cocktail
- Classic Mojito Drink Recipe
- Orange Mojito: A Tangy Twist on the Classic Drink
- Spiked Agua Fresca: A Perfect Summer Drink
- Strawberry Mojitos
- Whiskey Sour Cocktail Drink
- Simple Classic 3 Ingredient Margarita Recipe
- The Best Apple Cider Cocktails to Make This Fall
Other Irish-Inspired Recipes
- No Yeast Vegan Irish Soda Bread in an Hour
- Irish Potato Casserole
- Guinness Beef Stew with Mashed Potatoes
- Homemade Creme de Menthe + Drink Recipes
- Kale Beef Stew with Smashed Potatoes

Drinks using Creme de Menthe
And now for the good part: the drinks! We tried a few different drinks using our homemade creme de menthe that I found online. We made two shooters, and two cocktails. I am usually not much of a shot person, so I sipped at mine and it was still good. The frozen cocktail was more my type of drink.
Shots
Thin Mint Cookie:
- 1/2 oz Kahlua
- 1/2 oz Irish Cream
- 3/4 oz Creme de Cacao
- 1/4oz Creme de Menthe
Layer in a shot glass
Shamrock Shooter
1/3 oz each of:
- Creme de Menthe
- Creme de Cacao
- Irish Cream
Layer in a shot glass
Cocktails
Leprechaun’s Lunch
1 oz each of:
- Irish Cream
- Creme de Menthe
- Creme de Cacao
Top it off with milk and stir
Justin drank this one and said it was good and tasted like a lighter version of Irish Cream with a hint of minty flavor. He said next time, he would probably increase the Creme de Menthe and Creme de Cacao to 1 1/2 oz or 2oz each since he mostly tasted the Irish Cream.
Frozen Andes Mint
- 4 scoops of vanilla ice cream
- 1 oz Creme de Menthe
- 1 oz Kahlua
- 3 oz milk
- 1 oz Creme de Cacao
- 1 oz Irish Cream
Blend together and garnish with a sprig of mint
My favorite drink of them all: Frozen Andes Mint! Maybe it’s just because this one is made with ice cream that I loved it so much. But then again, I do always prefer my frozen-fruity-girly drinks the most. This isn’t fruity, but it is frozen and girly. This one is made with a blender, but since we were doing a single serving we made it in the Magic Bullet and it was the perfect size for it.
I am going to have to do this! I think the Andes Mint drink would be amazing!
That was definitely my favorite of them!!
I would never have thought of doing this, but now I’d really love to make this! Both the Andes Mint and the Leprechaun Lunch sound so yummy!
I hadn’t either, it was all my husband’s idea. But I sure enjoyed it!! 😊
What an interesting concoction. And I guess since the mint has stomach settling properties, it would be great for people that want to drink but I have an ulcer.
I didn’t know that, but makes it even better now!
I’ve never made something like this. I need to, especially with the holidays on the rise.
It’s perfect to have on hand for the holidays, and also cool to gift for the holidays as well!
Hmm this is so awesome! My father-in-law loves creme de menthe and it would be so interesting to make it myself and serve it to him!
It would make a wonderful gift! You only need a few things and you can make it in just a couple days.
I’m SO saving this to make later!
I hope you enjoy it when you do! It’s so yummy, and smooth.
Perfect idea for the holidays cheering! I do enjoy mint and nothing better than using fresh mint to create a nice cocktail =)
The fresh mint it what really makes these delicious!
This cocktail looks so yummy! Plus, it looks really easy to make.
It definitely covers both, yummy and easy!
Yum, this looks so fresh & tasty! I can’t wait to try and make this recipe 🙂
It’s so smooth! I hope you get a chance to try it out.
I’ve never made this drink in my life but I would love to give it a try. It looks so good and it’s refreshing too! I’m sure it’s going to be a hit when you’re having friends over.
We hadn’t made it before this either and were amazed at how easy it was. We’ve made a few batches now!
I have done something similar to this once as far as making a drink. But this does look cool. I am curious as to why the cheap vodka works so much better.
I haven’t figured that one out yet either! We’ve made vanilla extract, almond extract, and now creme de menthe and every time the cheaper vodka gave a better flavor.
I love this idea! I don’t have a garden, but I still love the homemade approach. And this could be such a fun family gathering activity for the holidays, with every family member making their own creme de menthe-based recipe. So much fun!
You can still get fresh mint from the grocery store and use that to make it! And everyone making a different drink does sound fun!!
this looks like fun to make
It was fun, and delicious!
oh wow ive never heard of creme de menthe but sounds delicious. I have a ton of mint leaves so id like to make this for the upcoming holidays.
Creme de Menthe gives a smooth, creamy mint flavor to your drinks. It’s so quick and easy, it would make great holiday gifts!
Doesn’t sound hard to make at all. Perfect for St. Patrick Day coming up.
It’s easy to make, just takes a bit of time, that’s all!
This sounds amazing. I grow mint every year and our garden so I will have to try the recipe out this summer. Thanks for the inspiration.
We grow mint, too. I brought some inside for the winter and plan to plant it back outside in the next weekend or two, once it’s warm enough!
Now this looks delicious!!! I’ve never made homemade alcohol before. I love mint anything so I’m definitely going to have to make this. I just love your blog so much! I have so many recipes saved!!!
This was the first alcohol we have made. I’ve used vodka to make homemade vanilla extract, but that’s a bit different.
YOU ARE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE! Pinning this for later, I have a feeling I will be using this recipe ALL SUMMER LONG. Thanks friend!
Love it! Mint is so refreshing for summer drinks, so glad to be able to help!
This is such a delicious idea! I love the taste of mint on my drinks, I for sure will try this recipe myself! Amazing photos by the way <3
Me too, mint makes the drinks so smooth and refreshing.
I never even though to make it from scratch before. What a great idea, that way you know what’s in it too!!!
I love knowing what’s in the food (and drinks) that we have, and the easiest way is making it from scratch!
This would be perfect for St. Patty’s Day! I’ve never made my own before, but I love Creme De Menthe. I was looking for ways to use our mint plant up in the fall before it snowed — this would have been perfect!
Oh man, I should have posted this sooner! Now you know for next fall!!
Love this!! Not heard of Creme De Menthe drink before. Perfect for the weekend celebrations xx
You should try it! Creme de Menthe adds a smooth mint flavor to drinks.
These are something new for me and I love to make my own. For sure the taste was really good.
You should try it! It’s easy to make and adds such a good flavor to drinks.
This looks amazing and refreshing. I would love a drink like this today. I will have to try making this at home.
I know, I wish I had more for this weekend! It’s easy to make and we will be making more once we can plant mint in the garden again.
Who knew it was so easy to create creme de menthe at home? I love mint flavored anything, so this would be perfect for me. That Andes drink looks delicious!
The Andes drink is delicious! It’s so easy to make Creme de Menthe, I’ll be making more once we have more mint grow in the garden.
This is good drinks for health! I want to make this at home. Thanks for sharing. you always make recipes that really tenpting and delicious.
You should try it! It doesn’t take long and is really easy to make.
Growing up in Haiti, my mom used to make creme de menthe, she used to give it to us when we had a cold and whenever we add an upset stomach and the best part, she used to add it to tea a special treat. Now, I make it and use it in my cocktails.,
I never thought about adding it to tea. My husband has been drinking peppermint tea lately, I’ll have to tell him this idea!
Awesome! I’ve never made creme de menthe before but I really like it! I love the ideas you gave of different drinks using it!
It’s so easy to make! And there are endless drink possibilities!
Great tasting, fun and easy to make. Homemade creme de menthe in a mason jar makes a very cool present for a party. I actually tried the drink recipes and they are excellent! 🍀🍀
It’s fun to make it from scratch, and yes, the drinks you can make with them are so delicious!
I’ve never tried this before – it looks like it would be great for drinks in the summer!
It’s so light and refreshing. It’s perfect for summer and I know a lot of people use it in St. Patrick’s Day drinks since it’s usually green.
Oh, I love mint! I have never tried creme de menthe, but I will definitely try it out as soon as I have fresh mint in my garden!
It’s such a delicious and refreshing drink, especially if you already like minty flavors.
what!!! Homemade creme de menthe! I am definitely gonna try to make it, I love creme de menthe.
Yep! It’s pretty easy to make, just takes some time to let it steep. It’s so smooth when it’s done, too!
That creme de menthe brings back childhood recipe. My mom used to make it. Now, this version is for me. I have added to strawberry lemonade with an ounce of vodka and it is divine. I am going to make it again.
Oh man, I bet it’s amazing in strawberry lemonade! I will definitely have to try that next time we have some here.
I never heard of this before but it looks refreshing. I am sure many would enjoy drinking it.
Creme de menthe is a popular drink here to mix into drinks and add that refreshing mint flavor.
This drink looks very refreshing. I’ve never made it before but I think I’ll give it a try!
The mint makes it so light and refreshing with just a hint of alcohol in it.
I love any excuse to use a cute mason jar. I am popping out this baby and trying this.
I have so many mason jars, I love finding ways to use them, too! 🙂
Oh my gosh these sound REALLLLLLLY GOOD! I feel like I need to try this asap!
The creme de menthe is so smooth and refreshing, and the drinks it goes in are even better!
I’ve never tried to make anything like this before! It looks fun and tasty. Perfect for parties.
We’ve made creme de menthe a few times now and it’s so good. I’ve also made vanilla extract in a similar way, but that takes months until it’s ready. This at least is pretty quick.
I have never tried to make this, but what a great idea! I can’t wait to try it!!
It’s so easy, and tastes so smooth and fresh when you’re done!
This looks really interesting. I can’t admit that I am not a big drinker but I wouldn’t mind trying to make my own drink like Creme de Menthe at home.
I am not a big drinker either, but I will have one now and then. This comes out so smooth, it’s the only thing I’ve ever had straight!
Great article thank you! When is the best time to plant in the raised bed?
Thanks Sophie! The best time to plant will really depend on your climate zone. We are south Texas so it grows almost year-round for us.