Midori Sour – A Beautiful Mess

If you love an Amaretto Sour or Whiskey Sour, it’s time to try our Midori Sour recipe! You’ll love the melon flavor and the intense green color of this 1980s cocktail. You won’t need sour mix for this recipe. It’s a great fruity cocktail that isn’t overly sweet.

Ingredients

• Midori Melon Liqueur – A sweet bright green liqueur made using:  
• Vodka – Choose a high quality unflavored vodka. 
• Lemon Juice – Fresh squeezed. 
• Lime Juice – Fresh squeezed. 
• Club Soda – Or soda water to top. You may also use a lemon-lime soda like Sprite. 
• Lemon Wheel – As garnish.

The best cocktail glass for a Midori Sour is a Collins glass or an old fashioned glass.

What is Midori?

Midori is a Japanese melon flavored liqueur made from Japanese muskmelons and yubari fruit. These are infused in neutral grain spirits. After that, they are blended with brandy and sugar and the addition of green food coloring to make Midori.

Midori tastes like a sweet, melon flavored liqueur. It was first launched in 1978 by Suntory, who is well known for Japanese whiskeys and beer.

The Midori Sour was created soon after the launch of Midori and was very popular all through the 1980s and 1990s.

How to Make

In a cocktail shaker with ice, add Midori, vodka, lemon juice and lime juice. 

Shake for 10 to 15 seconds. Strain and pour into a glass with fresh ice. 

Top it off with a splash of club soda or lemon-lime soda.

Garnish with a slice of lemon.

Tips for Making

• Variations – Japanese Slipper: If you swap the vodka for triple sec you will make a Japanese Slipper cocktail. Other popular variations are the Amaretto Sour and Whiskey Sour.
• Garnish Ideas – Add a maraschino cherry, fresh citrus like limes or a candy cane for the holidays.
• Stir – If you don’t have a shaker, you can also mix this cocktail with a quick stir. Wait to add the soda until after you’ve stirred. 
• Substitutions – If you don’t have vodka, you can also use white rum or the spirit of your choice in its place.
• Egg Whites – You can add an egg white to the cocktail shaker to create a frothy version of this drink. Some recipes include the egg white, but it’s up to you what you prefer.

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