Midori Shochu Sour

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.