Elements: Midori

Few spirits are as immediately recognizable as Midori. The neon-green Japanese melon liqueur was the passion project of Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii, although the product didn’t hit the market until 1964, two years after his death. Originally named Hermes Melon Liqueur, Midori is made using Yubari melons from Hokkaido and muskmelons native to Aichi and Shizuoka provinces. Sweetened with cane sugar, the liqueur gets its signature hue via artificial coloring.

Rebranded as Midori (“green” in Japanese) in 1978, the liqueur made its U.S. debut that same year at a Studio 54 release party for Saturday Night Fever. Taking a starring role in cocktails from Midori Sours to the Melon Ball, the liqueur lent its vibrant verdancy to the bar and club scene for more than a decade, before changing tastes left it gathering dust on the shelf. But like other pop icons from the past, Midori has made a comeback, due in part to Suntory’s recalibrated recipe, launched in 2012. The liqueur’s sweetness is now balanced by lush, earthy notes, making it an appealing addition to craft cocktails.

“My introduction to Midori was slinging brightly colored shots at a Florida chain restaurant,” says Brandon Ristaino, co-owner of Santa Barbara–based Good Lion Hospitality. “But I like using the reworked version as an accent. It’s a great base note for tropical or Japanese-style drinks.” At Strange Beast in Ventura, Ristaino amplifies Midori’s melon character with a fresh honeydew syrup in the Millennial Falcon Fizz. London dry gin anchors the drink, while blanc vermouth and a dash of absinthe lend complexity to the sweet melon flavor.

At Brooklyn’s Nura, beverage director Chris Amirault creates an earthier sour with the Midori Rising, using reposado tequila. “I love the vegetal complexity that [the tequila] provides, along with a hint of crème brûlée and banana once it’s combined with Midori,” he says. The resulting cocktail has a silky texture that balances Midori’s sweetness while enhancing its melon and candied banana notes, says Amirault.

The off-menu and aptly named Secret Midori Sour at Bar Iris in San Francisco is a playful offering among the bar’s elaborate, culinary-forward cocktails. Manager Timofei Osipenko elevates the ’80s classic by incorporating aquavit and shochu to widen the flavor profile. A syrup made from cult Japanese soda Ramune adds perfumed, candy aromas, but simple syrup can easily be subbed in. “We’re a Japanese-inspired cocktail bar, and we take our drinks seriously,” says Osipenko. “But we also like to have fun.”