Midori: Suntory's Melon Liqueur, and Why It Is That Green

Midori is one of the most recognizable bottles in the world and one of the least examined. The green is so loud that nobody asks what is in it.

The Name

Midori simply means green in Japanese.

The liqueur is made by Suntory, and it did not start under that name. It launched in Japan in 1964 as Hermes Melon Liqueur. By the time it reached the United States in 1978 it had been renamed Midori.

That US launch came with a piece of cocktail history: Midori was the main ingredient in a drink called The Universe, which took first prize at the U.S. Bartenders' Guild annual competition. Winning a national bartending competition is a good way to introduce a new bottle.

The Melons

This is the part worth knowing, because it changes how you read the bottle.

Midori is flavored with Yubari King and muskmelon.

Yubari King is not an ordinary melon. It is a cantaloupe cultivar grown in Yubari, Hokkaido, and it is one of the most famous luxury fruits in Japan. The best specimens are sold at auction and prices in the tens of thousands of dollars for a pair are a regular news item. The fruit is grown under highly controlled conditions, individually tended, and graded on shape, netting and sugar content.

Japanese luxury fruit culture is its own subject. Melons, strawberries and grapes are given as formal gifts, presented in boxes, and evaluated the way wine is evaluated elsewhere. A melon is a legitimate present for a business relationship.

So the flavor reference in Midori is not a generic melon. It points at a specific, culturally loaded fruit, which is a piece of context that almost nobody drinking it in a bar has.

The Color

The green is not what melon looks like. Yubari King flesh is orange.

The color is a deliberate choice, made to match the name rather than the fruit, and it is a large part of why the bottle became famous. It photographs, it is instantly identifiable across a room, and it made drinks built on it visually distinctive in an era when most cocktails were brown or clear.

The bottle itself is textured, which is also deliberate.

What It Tastes Like

Sweet honeydew melon, juicy and forward, with a smooth, refreshing finish. It is unambiguously a sweet liqueur and does not pretend otherwise.

How to Drink It

Chilled, in a small liqueur glass, if you want to taste it on its own.

It is more commonly used as a component, where its sweetness and color both do work. Anything with citrus or soda balances it well, since acidity is what it lacks.

Pair It With

Seared scallop with yuzu ponzu, or lighter seafood generally. Melon and cured or delicate seafood is a classic combination for a reason, and this is the liquid version of it.

Try It at Juraku

Midori is on the bar at Izakaya Juraku, Lower East Side. Check the current menu or ask us what we are making with it.