Midori cocktails are sweet with a lovely melon flavor or accent. Midori is a brilliant, bright green, muskmelon-flavored liqueur that gets its name from the Japanese word for green. As a sweet liqueur, Midori is usually the foil to sour in a variety of mixed drinks. Midori is delicious with a variety of tart juices such as lemon, lime, orange, and pineapple and is a favorite of cocktail-lovers with a sweet tooth.
1. Midori Melon Ball
This refreshing cocktail is a must for melon season; the fresh melon balls make for a fun and tasty garnish. You can use honeydew, watermelon, cantaloupe, or any of your favorites. Serves one.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Midori
- 1 ounce vodka
- 3 ounces of orange juice
- Ice
- Melon balls, freshly scooped
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Midori, vodka, and orange juice.
- Add ice and shake.
- Pour over ice into a highball glass.
- Garnish with melon balls.
2. Japanese Slipper
This Midori cocktail was born in the '80s and is a tasty, reasonably low in alcohol option for anyone looking for something that's sweet and not too boozy. Serves one.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Midori
- 1 ounce triple sec or another orange flavored liqueur
- 1 ounce lemon juice
- Ice
- Slice of honeydew melon or lemon wheel for garnish
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Midori, triple sec, and lemon juice.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain the ingredients into a cocktail glass.
- Garnish the glass with honeydew melon slice or lemon wheel.
3. Blue Bahama
Longing for tropical breezes and sand between your toes? Enjoy a Blue Bahama cocktail, a colorful and tasty mix of Midori, blue curaçao, gin, triple sec, rum, vodka, and tequila.
4. Midori Sour
The most popular and arguably well-known Midori cocktail, the sour, balances out Midori's sweetness perfectly. Serves one.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Midori
- 1 ounce lime juice
- Ice
- 2 ounces of Sprite or other lemon-lime soda
- Maraschino cherries or orange slice for garnishing
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Midori and lime juice.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into a collins glass filled with ice. Add the lemon lime soda and stir.
- Garnish with cherries or orange slice.
5. Midori Splice
If you're in the mood for something tropical, try a Midori Splice. You'll instantly be whisked away to an island paradise. Makes one drink.
Ingredients
- 1 ounce Midori
- 1 ounce Malibu rum
- 3 ounces pineapple juice
- Coconut cream
- Pineapple wedge and cherry
Instructions
- Add Midori, rum, and pineapple juice to a cocktail shaker.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice.
- Gently layer coconut cream as a garnish with a pineapple wedge and cherry to top it off.
6. Midori Illusion
This delightful Midori drink can also be served up or as a shooter. Makes one cocktail.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces Midori
- ½ ounce vodka
- ½ ounce triple sec
- 1½ ounces pineapple juice
- ½ ounce lemon juice
- Ice
- Pineapple slice and Maraschino cherries, optional garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the Midori, vodka, triple sec, pineapple juice, and lemon juice.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into a Collins glass filled with crushed ice.
- Garnish with pineapple and cherries.
7. Honeydew Martini
The Honeydew Martini is perfect for anyone who loves a fruity twist on the Martini. It's an easy to make cocktail that requires few ingredients and has just the right amount of sweetness. It's also a perfect candidate for customizing to your tastes and is a delicious after dinner cocktail.
8. Atomic Dog Shooter
This vivid green shot is sweet and delicious, and it goes down super smoothly.
Ingredients
- ½ ounce Midori
- ½ ounce Malibu rum
- ½ ounce dark rum
Instructions
Pour all ingredients in a shot glass.
9. Melon Mojito
Melon and mint is a delicious combination, and this sweet green Mojito is refreshing and delicious.
Ingredients
- 10 mint leaves
-
¾ ounce Midori
-
¾ ounce fresh lime juice
-
1½ ounce white rum
-
Ice
-
2 ounces club soda
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, muddle the mint leaves with the Midori. Add the lime juice, rum, and ice.
- Shake to chill.
- Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with additional mint leaves.
- Add the club soda. Stir.
10. Midori Daiquiri
In the Midori daiquiri, replace the sweet (simple syrup) with Midori for an interesting twist on the original.
Ingredients
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ once Midori
- 1½ ounces white rum
- Ice
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, Midori, and white rum.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into the chilled cocktail glass.
11. Midori Ginger Gin Fizz
A fizz is basically a sour recipe with a fizzy element added. This fizz combines the aromatics of gin, the sweetness of melon, and the spiciness of ginger-ale to make a really interesting cocktail.
Ingredients
-
1½ ounces London dry gin
-
¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
-
¾ ounce Midori
-
Ice
-
3 ounces ginger ale
-
Orange peel for garnish
Instructions
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the gin, lime juice, and Midori.
- Add the ice and shake.
- Strain into a collins glass filled with ice. Add the ginger ale and stir.
- Garnish with an orange peel
12. Pearl Harbor Cocktail
Orange juice, vodka, and Midori combine in a sweet and simple mixed drink called the Pearl Harbor cocktail.
13. Melon Margarita
The margarita is another classic sour recipe with equal parts sweet, sour, and strong (a spirit). This one uses Midori as the sweet element.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons course salt
- 1 lime wedge
- ¾ ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ ounce Midori
- 1½ ounces blanco tequila
- Ice
Instructions
- Chill a cocktail glass.
- Place the coarse salt in a shallow dish. Run a lime wedge around the outside edge of the glass and roll it in the salt to rim.
- In a cocktail shaker, combine the lime juice, Midori, tequila, and ice.
- Shake.
- Strain into the prepared cocktail glass.
14. Jolly Rancher Martini
If you loved Jolly Rancher candies as a kid, then chances are you'll love the adult version - the Melon Jolly Rancher Martini.
Mixers for Midori
Wondering what to mix with Midori? These mixers have flavors that go well with Midori's melon taste and aroma, so they're a good starting point for creating your own Midori cocktails.
- Lemon lime soda
- Sour mix
- Club soda
- Orange juice
- Grapefruit juice
- Ginger ale
- Ginger beer
- Rye whiskey
- Canadian whisky
- Lime juice
- Lemon juice
- Pineapple juice
- Coconut water
- Dry sparkling wine
Midori Makes Life Sweeter
Whether you want green Halloween drinks or you just love melons, Midori makes a tasty cocktail. Given its sweetness, Midori is best used as part of cocktail rather than enjoyed straight. Its fruitiness makes it perfect for summer, as a mixer to add a bit of green to St. Patrick's Day cocktails, or anytime you feel the need to add a bit of tropical flavor to your life. Many Midori cocktail recipes are lower in alcohol, which means as long as you're drinking responsibly, you might be able to sneak in an extra cocktail at the end of the night.
Want even more Midori drinks? Try the vibrant green antifreeze cocktail.
