![Midori Shochu Sour](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/xoFhJrnEwgZmcpk7FkUqi1SIoKU=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Midori-Shochu-Sour-XL-RECIPE0922-016ea1a2eecb4a8abf76a159be8c014d.jpg)
Though a few different brands make melon liqueur, Midori is the most famous. Made by Suntory, a brand known for its high-end Japanese whiskeys, Midori is flavored like muskmelon and has an iconic bright green color which gives this cocktail its grassy hue. Fun fact: Midori was first launched in the United States in 1987 at a massive party hosted at Studio 54 by the cast of Saturday Night Fever.
Julia Momosé, owner of Kumiko, a Japanese dining bar in Chicago, and author of The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques & Recipes, developed this recipe. Unlike sake, which is fermented from rice and averages around 16% alcohol, Shochu, a distilled spirit, is higher-proof, and clocks in around 25%. "I do everything I can to highlight the ingredient," Momose says. (It's one of several Japanese ingredients U.S. bartenders can't get enough of.) In this Midori Sour, she uses Mizu Green Tea Shochu. Green Tea Sochu is infused with a tea that lends the Sochu tropical notes that mesh seamlessly with the luscious melon liqueur, and also come together with citrus juices to yield a cocktail with pleasant acidity.
Ingredients
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3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) Mizu Green Tea Shochu (see Note)
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2 tablespoons (1 ounce) melon liqueur (such as Midori)
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1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
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1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
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1 tablespoon simple syrup
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¼ cup club soda
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Honeydew melon ball
Directions
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Combine green tea shochu, melon liqueur, lemon juice, lime juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker. Cover and shake 15 seconds. Pour mixture over fresh ice in a highball glass; top with club soda. Carefully slide a spoon down inside wall of glass, and scoop upward to nuzzle the ice up, allowing ingredients to come together. Top with additional ice if desired. Garnish with a honeydew melon ball, and serve.
Note
If you can't find green tea shochu, substitute with another rice-based shochu, such as Hakutake Shiro Shochu or Chiyonosono 8,000 Generations. Shochu can be found at Japanese grocery stores, liquor stores, or online at mizushochu.com.