Midori Sour

As flavorful as it is vibrant, this Midori sour cocktail is a delicious mix of sweet melon liqueur, lime juice, vodka, lemon juice, and lemon-lime soda.

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About Midori Sour

A stunning cocktail in both look and flavor, this classic Midori sour is known for its trademark hue and crowd-pleasing appeal. It’s a go-to sweet cocktail that’s perfect for both casual sipping or toasting at classy events.

What is a midori sour?

First seen in New York’s Studio 54 in the 1970’s, a Midori sour is a vibrant green cocktail made with sweet melon-flavored liqueur, lemon or lime flavoring (such as juice or sweet and sour mix), and lemon-lime soda. It’s a simple drink that packs a deliciously sweet flavor that’s easy to sip and enjoy.

What’s in a Midori sour?

To whip up this tasty cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Midori Melon Liqueur – A melon-flavored Japanese liqueur with a vibrant green hue and subtle, sweet flavor.
• Lemon and lime juice – To add some tartness to the drink.
• Vodka – Because every cocktail needs some spirits.
• Lemon lime soda – Give the drink some fizz and sweetness.

What type of vodka should you use?

With any mixed drink, it’s best to keep the spirits simple. Save the super-expensive vodka for enjoying on its own and use vodka with lower-to-mid-range price points for blending with other flavors.

As for my personal recommendation, I tend to use Smirnoff vodka for drinks like this.

How many lemons or limes do you need?

You can use store-bought lemon or lime juice for this cocktail, but it will taste even better when made with freshly squeezed fruit.

For the juice alone, you should be able to get enough from one medium lemon and one large lime.

You can also use an equal portion of sweet and sour mix in place of both the lemon and lime juice.

Can you make this drink in advance?

Yes, you totally can mix the core drink ingredients in advance! Prepare the drink as instructed (just without ice) and then store it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours before serving.

Can you make a big batch of Midori sour?

Yes! There are no special “effects” with this drink (such as layering, gradients, etc) so it’s perfectly safe to mix this drink and serve it in a big batch.

And in order to make a big batch, all you need to do is measure this drink in parts.

Recipes that measure in parts usually mean it’s written so that you can adjust the size of the drink to whatever you want. The measurements they give you (1 part, 1/2 part, etc) are so you can keep the ratio of the ingredients correct.

For example, let’s say you wanted to make one drink – this typically means you’re using 1 standard shot glass for measuring. So then when the recipe says “1 part” you would interpret that amount as “1 standard shot glass” full. If the recipe says “1/2 part” you’d fill the shot glass halfway so that it’s “1/2 standard shot glass.” OR, let’s say you wanted to make enough drinks for a few friends. When making the drink you could interpret “1 part” as “1 cup” (or “1/2 part” to “1/2 cup.”)

Given the above, to measure a Midori sour in parts, you would need:

• 1 1/2 part Midori
• 1 1/2 part lime juice
• 1 part vodka
• 1 part lemon juice
• Enough lemon lime soda to top off each glass served.
• Ice and garnishes per glass (such as lemon slices, lime slices, or maraschino cherries)

Notes & tips for making a Midori sour

• Like most mixed drinks, you’ll need a trusty cocktail shaker to make this blue cocktail. I use a Mason Jar and Stainless Steel Cocktail Shaker Set that has a rustic look that’s fun for parties. If you already have a ton of mason jars and just need a cocktail shaker lid, you can pick up on here: Mason Jar Cocktail Shaker Lid.
• If you’d like the drink to have a gradient effect, skip the cocktail shaker and pour the ingredients directly into a glass, leaving the Midori for last. The Midori has more sugar content than the other liquids so it should sink to the bottom of the glass, giving the drink pale or yellow color near the rim and deep green near the bottom.
• If you’d like the drink to be a darker green hue, increase the Midori to two total ounces and reduce the lime juice to one total ounce.
• You can substitute an equal portion of sweet and sour mix for both the lemon juice and lime juice.
• For a not-so-sweet Midori sour, substitute the lemon-lime soda for seltzer water, club soda, or sparkling lemon or lime water.

More delicious drinks

Other recipes with lemon and lime

How to make a Midori sour

This next part is only a photo tutorial of the recipe steps. If you’re looking for the full recipe measurements and instructions, scroll down to Recipe Details.

Step 1 – In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add the following ingredients: Midori, lime juice, vodka, and lemon juice. Shake well until combined.

Step 2 – Fill a short cocktail glass with ice and then strain the Midori sour inside. Top off the drink with lemon-lime soda and garnish the glass with lemon slices, lime slices, or maraschino cherries (all optional).

Step 3 – Serve and enjoy!