Midori Sour Recipe

Midori Sour is a fun and bright green cocktail with a sweet and sour taste. Unique, delicious and so easy to make!

midori sour - midori sour cocktail drink serve in a glass

The Midori Sour is a fun cocktail that perfectly balances sweetness and sourness.

This delicious melon liqueur features a candy-like base, balanced out with fresh citrus juices to brighten up the flavor combo.

Then, topped with club soda for a bubbly finish.

how to make midori sour - ingredients used to make the cocktail drink

Everything About Midori Liqueur

Midori is a melon-flavored Japanese liqueur invented in the ’60s and originally known as the “Hermes liqueur”.

Its vibrant and bright green color and sweet melon flavor make for a very unique drink, especially for a St. Patrick’s Day drink.

It started gaining more and more popularity in the United States in the late 70s.

Where it was commercialized with its current name Midori, which actually means “green” in Japanese.

In the ’80s, it gained a sort of “viral” popularity and was an absolute hit in the cocktail world.

Considered a premium liqueur, its flavor comes from Japanese muskmelons infused into neutral grain spirits. Muskmelons are extremely rare and pricey in Japan.

Midori tastes very sweet, almost like a melon candy. And it’s usually mixed into cocktails, rather than consumed on its own.

It is definitely a very fun liqueur to have on hand and experiment with it!

Also, try this Cherry Watermelon Frosé Cocktail for a refreshing summer cocktail from a perfect pair of cherries and watermelon

midori sour drink - a close up shot of midori sour drink

What is a Sour Cocktail?

Sour cocktails are a family of cocktails made with a base of liquor, a bitter component, and a sweetener.

So they have a very balanced flavor profile that goes between sweetness and sourness.

If you like these contrasting flavors, try our Amaretto Sour recipe also!

Also if you want a perfect springtime cocktail, try our Edible Flower Rainbow Sour Cocktail.

what's in a midori sour - a photo of midori liqueur, lime and soda

Ingredients Needed to Make a Midori Sour Cocktail

This cocktail is a very simple cocktail with not many ingredients. Plus, they’re all very easy to get (aside from the Midori liqueur which is a bit more special). 

Midori liqueur — The main ingredient in this recipe.

Fresh lime juice

Fresh lemon juice

Club soda or soda water —  Optional but recommended: To add the bubbly fizzy finish to the cocktail!

Ice

It’s very important to use fresh juices, especially when it comes to citrus juice. Although bottled juice might be more convenient, nothing can beat the freshness and taste of freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice.

Like our Amaretto Sour recipe, this Midori Sour recipe does not call for simple syrup, which is common in sour cocktails.

And that’s because Midori liqueur is very sweet so this drink doesn’t need any more added sweetness. Instead, it calls for a sour mix to achieve the desired balance.

Midori Sour Recipe - two tall glass full of ice

Useful Tools to Make the Midori Sour Cocktail

Almost no effort is involved in this cocktail, yet it has very satisfying results! To make a Midori Sour, you are going to need:

Tall glass (like a Collins glass) — Opt for a glass that allows for plenty of ice. One of the things I love about the Midori Sour Cocktail is that you can make it straight from the glass. This adds a layer of simplicity and easiness to the recipe when a shaker is not essential.

Optional: Cocktail shaker —  If you wish to use one, mix all the ingredients, except the club soda. And then, give the mix the good old shake method.

Jigger —  To measure the exact quantities of Midori liqueur and fresh juices. If you don’t have one, measure out the ingredients with spoons.

Lemon squeezer —  To extract the beautiful fresh lemon and lime juices.

midori sour recipe - splashing soda on the midori sour drink

If you like this recipe, check out other similar cocktails below — 

Midori Sour Cocktail Recipe

Print Recipe
4.43 from 7 votes
The Midori Sour, a fun and bright green cocktail with a melon sweet and sour taste. Unique, delicious and so easy to make!
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time10 minutes
Course Drinks
Cuisine Cocktails

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 3 oz Midori liqueur
  • 1/2 oz fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 oz fresh lime juice
  • 1 lime wedge for garnish
  • Club soda
  • Crushed ice preferably in big chunks

Nutrition

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 32g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 1mg
Servings: 1
Calories: 239kcal

Notes

  • If you want to make it sweeter, add 1 teaspoon of sugar or simple syrup.

Instructions

  • Fill 3/4 of the glass with crushed ice (in big chunks preferably so it will not melt immediately).
  • Squeeze the lemon and lime and reserve separately the juices. Optional: Strain them to avoid getting any fruit fiber in the final cocktail,
  • Add the Midori liqueur to the glass.
  • Add the lime and lemon juice.
  • Top the glass with a splash of soda.
  • Garnish with a wedge of lime sitting on top of the ice, or in the brim of the glass.
KEYWORD: Midori Sour Recipe

Don’t forget to share your Midori Sour drink with us on Instagram using the hashtag #sugarandclothloves. We always love seeing all of your creations! Looking for more quick and delicious recipes? You can find them all right here with a few snacks to go along with them!

Please note that we may earn a commission for some of the above affiliate links. However, products featured are independently selected and personally well-loved by us!

4.43 from 7 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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9 Comments

  1. Wildly out of balance. A 1:1 ratio is more like a warhead than a midori sour. I followed this recipe to a tee and it was undrinkable – how has this gotten perfect ratings until now????1 star

    1. Hi Anon! Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We totally agree with you that a 1:1 ratio would make this cocktail soooo sour. It is a sour cocktail but definitely not a 1:1 ratio. It looks like the recipe card had a glitch it the original measurements and it has now been re-updated back to the original. It should be 3 oz of Midori with 1/2 oz of lemon juice and 1/2 oz of lime juice, topped with club soda. Sorry about that!

  2. I love this, it looks super cool when you serve it and tastes amazing, super refreshing! Thank you for the awesome recipe!!5 stars