Combined with fresh citrus juice from lemons and limes, the Midori Sour doesn't need additional sweetening in the form of syrup as Sour Cocktails usually do. The Melon liqueur from Midori already brings enough sweetness to the recipe.
Quick Facts Midori Sour Cocktail
- Method: shaken
- Flavor profile: fruity, sweet
- How to serve it: over ice
- Best glassware: rocks glass
- Alcohol content: ~ 19% ABV, 19.5 grams of alcohol per serving
Our approach to the classic cocktail is based on a healthy amount of Midori combined with fresh ingredients for the best Midori Sour cocktail possible.
Equipment
- 1 Jigger
- 1 Cocktail Shaker
- 1 Hawthorne Strainer
Ingredients
- 2 oz Midori
- 1 oz Vodka
- 0.5 oz Fresh lime juice
- 0.5 oz Fresh lemon juice
- 0.5 oz Chilled soda water
Instructions
- Fill a glass with ice cubes and put it aside while mixing.
- Add Midori, Vodka, lime juice, and lemon juice into your shaker and shake for about 10 seconds.2 oz Midori, 1 oz Vodka, 0.5 oz Fresh lime juice, 0.5 oz Fresh lemon juice
- Strain the content into your glass and add a splash of chilled soda water and garnish the drink with a cherry and a slice of lemon or lime0.5 oz Chilled soda water
Nutrition
Ingredients of the Midori Sour
Looking for recipes for this iconic Midori cocktail, you'll find a ton of different takes on it. Sadly, many cover the unique melon flavor behind cheap sweet & sour mixes. We like and recommend using freshly squeezed lemon and lime juice instead to get that tangy citrus taste in the cocktail:
- Midori Melon liqueur: The base of the drink is Midori Melon. The Japanese liqueur is quite sweet and has an intense flavor of musk melons and yubari fruit.
- Vodka: To add a bit of strength to what otherwise would be a relatively weak and candy-like cocktail, we add a bit of vodka to the mix. Some recipes use Midori and Vodka in equal measurements. If our version is too sweet for your taste buds, go with that.
- Fresh citrus juice: half an ounce of lemon and half an ounce of lime juice will balance the sweet flavors just perfectly.
- Soda: The final touch is the addition of just a splash of chilled club soda. That doesn't affect the taste but makes the drink more refreshing. Served in a Collins or Rocks glass and garnished with a cherry, you will get a sensational, vibrant Midori Sour.
How to Make a Modern Midori Sour - Tips & Tricks
There are two different ways to make a Midori Sour. One option is to build it in the glass, and the other is to shake it on ice. The latter is unavoidable when adding egg white to the cocktail to create a frothy top.
In our recipe, we don't use egg white, but we still prefer to mix this drink in our shaker.
All you have to do is fill your shaker with ice, add Midori liqueur, vodka, lemon juice, and lime juice, and shake until everything is well-chilled. Add the splash of ice-cold soda water only after pouring your drink to maintain the carbonation.
If you decide to build the drink in the glass, it is important that all ingredients are chilled and, ideally, come straight out of the fridge - or, in the case of vodka, the freezer is even better. -As you probably know, spirits won't turn solid in the freezer due to the high ABV.
Related Cocktail Recipes
If you like the sweet and fruity taste of Midori Melon, you can make the most of the bottle in your cabinet and mix a Japanese Slipper. For more experimental takes on the classic sour template, try one of these recipes:
More About Midori
The Japanese melon liqueur has a very distinct taste and color. That makes it really hard to find replacement products. In case you only now learned about the existence of this vibrant green liqueur, here are some quick facts:
- The liqueur is made from Japanese musk melons and yubari fruit. Both of these fruits grow exclusively in Japan.
- The liqueur's original name was Hermes Melon Liqueur. However, with the launch in the US, the brand got renamed Midori.
- The taste is quite sweet, with a delicate taste of melon. But usually, the liqueur is not consumed straight but rather in mixed drinks.
If you want to learn more, you can read everything there is to know in our Guide about the Japanese melon liqueur.
Sounds like 90s in a glass but I enjoyed it.
I never used Midori in a cocktail before but this recipe is amazing! Midori Sour rocks!