Midori Sour

Updated Apr 29, 2026 · 2 min read

The Midori Sour is an emblem of 1970s. Its chief ingredient was launched in the U.S. in 1978 by Suntory, the Japanese company best known for coveted whiskeys and beers. Midori debu.

After enjoying success during the sweet cocktail heyday of the 1980s and ’90s, Midori fell out of favor amid the ensuing craft cocktail renaissance. But recently, it's found renewed life, as bartenders discover new uses for the liqueur’s distinctive flavor and color. Given its almost singular profile, Midori has few substitutes. So when an occasion calls for a bright-green drink or a customer demands a melon-flavored cocktail, Midori is ready to heed the call.

What is Midori?

Midori’s flavor is derived from Japanese muskmelons and the cantaloupe-like yubari fruit, which are both infused into neutral grain spirits. Before bottling, the melon spirit is blended with brandy and sugar and dosed with food coloring to achieve its characteristic intense color.

Midori can be used in countless drinks, but it’s the Midori Sour that made the liqueur a household name. However, early versions of the cocktail often worked to turn the drink into a punchline, disguising Midori’s melon flavor with corn-syrup-rich sour mix, similar to how many Margaritas of the era were degraded by mass-produced artificially flavored mixers rather than created with fresh ingredients.

This modern take on the Midori Sour recipe, mixed with fresh-squeezed lemon and lime juices and topped with soda water, brings the drink into the 21st century.

Ingredients

• 1 ounce Midori
• 1 ounce vodka
• 1/2 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed
• Club soda, to top
• Garnish: lemon wheel

Steps

1. Add the Midori, vodka, lemon juice and lime juice to a Collins glass with ice.
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3. Stir to combine, then top with a splash of soda water.
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5. Garnish with a lemon wheel.