Midori is a bright green melon flavored liqueur from Japan. It’s very sweet and light on the alcohol, being only 20–21% alcohol by volume (ABV). In North America, we tend to describe it as tasting like honeydew melon, and that’s a good approximation. It tastes like sweetened cantaloupe or honeydew.
It’s actually made from fresh yubari and musk melon from Japan with a neutral grain spirit. For years, Suntory – the company that made it – closely guarded the formula for making this liqueur. In more recent years, the company has become more open about both the ingredients and process.
The liqueur launched in New York in 1978 at a party at Studio 54 attended by John Travolta. It quickly became a bar essential. It adds a lot of green pigment to any drink, which allows bartenders to create spectacular drinks in shades of green, yellow-green and blue-green.
Where to Buy Midori
You can absolutely buy Midori online and have it shipped or delivered – in some areas. It depends on local alcohol laws.
- Minibar and Saucey partner with local stores to deliver Midori to your doorstep. Again, it depends where you live.
- Buy Midori at Total Wine and have it delivered or pick it up curbside, depending on local regulations. Check your region to see if they deliver to you.
What does Midori Taste Like?
Tasted straight, Midori has no burn at all, even if you quickly down a shot. It’s very sweet, and the melon flavor is recognizable but not bold.
Midori tastes like honeydew or cantaloupe, but its popularity extends beyond people who like those flavors. Many who do not like melons report liking Midori very well, especially in cocktails.
As stated above, it is very sweet, and that can be a turnoff to drinking it straight, for any of you who don’t like sweet liqueurs. But most cocktail recipes featuring this spirit balance the sweetness with tart and/or spicy flavors like lemon or ginger.
Top Midori Cocktail Recipes
This list includes both MixThatDrink original cocktail recipes and a few classics.
The Broken Down Golf Cart is a delicious cocktail featuring the flavors of melon and almond with a little lime juice to cut the sweetness.
The Tokyo Iced Tea is a delicious variation on the Long Island Iced Tea. This drink recipe features 7-up instead of cola and Midori instead of triple sec. It’s so easy to make, but remember it’s much stronger than it tastes!
The Honeydew-Ginger Martini uses Midori and Domaine De Canton Ginger Liqueur for its main flavors of honeydew and ginger. The bright yellow-green color makes it memorable.
The Honeydew Martini tastes mostly like melon. Midori tastes like honeydew or cantaloupe, vodka adds no particular flavor, and the triple sec is a small enough amount to just give the drink a little edge of sweet and tart.
The Green Dinosaur drink recipe features three white liquors with Midori and lemonade. It’s a rather strong drink, and the mixers don’t do much to disguise the kick.
The Midori Mimosa is a very simple drink blending Midori with champagne and just a touch of lemon juice and simple syrup. It's a fresh-tasting cocktail that's perfect for brunch.
This is an easygoing drink that blends cream and vodka with Midori in much the way a White Russian blends vodka and cream with Kahlua.
The Green Demon is a delicious cocktail featuring Midori and lemonade with two hard liquors. It's one of those drinks that's very easy to love.
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