A grasshopper hops into a bar.

This joke tickles our funny bone through a classic combination of wordplay and incongruity. The humor hinges on the double meaning of "grasshopper." Most people immediately think of the Grasshopper cocktail, a sweet, mint-flavored, green after-dinner drink that's been around since at least the early 20th century, with origins often linked to New Orleans. The bartender, naturally, assumes the hopping patron is aware of this popular libation.

However, the joke flips our expectations when the grasshopper character reveals it's completely oblivious to the drink. Instead of recognizing the cocktail named after its species, it humorously assumes the bartender is referring to its actual, personal name. This unexpected twist, where the grasshopper's name turns out to be "Steve," creates a delightful moment of absurdity.

"An animal walks into a bar" is a beloved and enduring joke setup, with examples dating back to ancient Sumerian times featuring a dog. This particular gag plays on that familiar structure, leading us down a path of predictable bar-joke logic only to surprise us with a character's wonderfully literal, and utterly human, misunderstanding. It's a playful reminder that sometimes the simplest interpretations are the funniest.