From adding pineapple juice to shaking up a Splice, here are the best Midori mixes to make at home.
Got a bottle of Midori kicking around? Good news – this bright green, little bit kitsch and utterly unmistakable liqueur is back. And honestly, it never should have left. If you’ve been noticing more Midori cocktails popping up on your feed or menus lately, you’re not imagining it: this melon liqueur is enjoying a genuine comeback. Its trademark bright-green hue and sweet, fruity flavours of Japanese muskmelons (think rockmelon, but sweeter and more floral) are winning people over once again.
Midori was created in Japan in 1964 (originally under the name Hermes Melon Liqueur) before being rebranded and launched to the US in 1978 at a now-legendary Studio 54 party. John Travolta was supposedly among the first to try it. From there it became a fixture of the disco scene, fell out of fashion through the ’90s and ’00s, and made its way back into favour with Millennials after a 2012 recipe tweak was rolled out. This pulled back on the sweetness, switched to more natural ingredients, and let those signature melon flavours shine through.
The nostalgia factor is a big part of its appeal; Midori drinks feel like a throwback in the best way. That neon-green glow is instantly recognisable, and there’s something fun about a cocktail that doesn’t take itself too seriously. So, if you happen to have a bottle lying around – or it’s time to revisit this distinctive liqueur – we’ve rounded up some of the best Midori mixes to DIY.
Not every night calls for a cocktail shaker. These are the easiest Midori drink recipes to make at home – just add Midori to a glass with one of these mixers over ice.
Midori and pineapple juice: 30–45mL Midori topped with pineapple juice over ice, garnished with a pineapple wedge. A tropical, low-effort classic.
Midori and ginger ale: 30–45mL Midori topped with ginger ale over ice and a squeeze of lime. The ginger's spice plays nicely against the melon sweetness.
Midori and lemonade: 30–45mL Midori topped with lemonade over ice, garnished with a lemon or mint sprig. Light, refreshing and dangerously easy to drink.
Midori and soda water: For something less sweet, 30–45mL Midori topped with soda and a squeeze of fresh lime keeps things crisp.
Midori, lime and tonic: A slightly more bitter twist, with 30mL Midori, a good squeeze of lime and topped with tonic over ice.
Midori makes a brilliant base in a range of cocktails – these are four of our favourites.
This is the cocktail that put Midori’s recent comeback in motion. Shake together 60mL Midori, 30mL lemon juice, 30mL pineapple juice, 15mL triple sec and 15mL vodka with ice until frosty, then strain into a tall glass over fresh ice and garnish with a pineapple wedge. It’s sweet and melony by design, so the trick is balance: let the other ingredients hold their own rather than letting the Midori take over. It’s a natural match for anything salty and fried – think tempura prawns or salt-and-pepper squid, which cuts nicely through the sweetness.
If the Midori Illusion is a disco darling, the Splice is straight out of a Slim Aarons photograph. Creamy and tropical, this drinks like a boozy ice-cream dessert. Combine 30mL Midori, 30mL coconut rum, 90mL pineapple juice and 30mL thickened cream in a shaker with ice, shake briefly, then strain into a hurricane glass or a tall, wide-rimmed glass over fresh ice. Garnish with a skewered cherry and pineapple wedge (honeydew melon balls are a fun swap if you're feeling extra). And for a full dessert-cocktail moment, swap the cream for ice cream.
Jean-Paul Bourguignon was working as a bartender at (the now closed) Mietta's Restaurant in Melbourne in 1984. After receiving a bottle of Midori from a Suntory sales representative, Jean-Paul tried mixing it with Cointreau and lemon juice to cut through its sweetness, and the drink was born. Equal parts Midori, triple sec and fresh lemon juice – at 30mL each – are shaken with ice and strained into a chilled coupe or martini glass, garnished with a maraschino cherry. Because it's such a stripped-back recipe, ingredient quality really shows, so freshly squeezed lemon juice makes a difference here. Serve well-chilled as an aperitif, and pair it with something light: oysters, potato chips or olives.
Topped up and fizzy rather than shaken and strained, this cocktail is the easiest – and most easy-drinking – of this list. It's also the most adaptable of the four: the tequila-to-Midori ratio can be adjusted depending on how sweet or strong you want it, and the soda can be swapped for ginger beer or ginger ale if you want more spice. Shake 30mL blanco tequila, 30mL Midori, 30mL cloudy apple juice, 15mL lemon juice and 15mL sugar syrup with ice, strain into an ice-filled highball glass, then top with soda and give it a gentle stir to keep the fizz. Garnish with an apple fan (it’s just thin slices of a Granny Smith fanned out, which is easier than it sounds – promise).
