Melon Liqueur
A general term for melon-flavored liqueurs like Midori.
Origin
Japan, developed by Suntory and originally launched domestically in 1964 as Hermes Melon Liqueur, relaunched internationally in 1978 as Midori.
History
Suntory first released its melon liqueur in Japan in 1964 under the name Hermes, and it caught international attention after American delegates tasted it at a 1971 IBA cocktail competition in Tokyo. Renamed Midori (Japanese for "green"), it launched in the United States in 1978 with a famously extravagant party at New York's Studio 54, hosted with the cast of Saturday Night Fever, instantly tying the brightly colored liqueur to disco-era nightlife. It became one of the first widely popular fruity liqueurs on American bar shelves and remains the benchmark every other melon liqueur is measured against, most associated with the Midori Sour.
Flavor profile
Sweet, tropical honeydew melon flavor with a vivid, unmistakable green color.
Tasting notes
A clean, candy-sweet melon flavor with almost no bitterness, adding both a distinct fruit character and a striking neon-green color to whatever it's mixed into.
Substitutes
- A different melon liqueur brand, since Midori essentially defined the category's flavor profile.
- Fresh honeydew melon pureed with a little sugar and vodka, as a homemade approximation.
- Kiwi liqueur, for a different but similarly vivid, tropical-fruit-flavored green substitute.
