And one of these. Amaterasu said, eyes as big as Jolly Ranchers as she put the square glass bottle of lurid green ichor into the cart.
Must we?
It's my birthday.
An infallible argument, that.
And so it was that that evening I found myself mixing rounds of Midori Sours for Amaterasu and several of the other scarf-cladden sopranos in the choir with whom she sings. Stuck shaking cocktails at the house bar, I never got a chance to talk at length with the cute alto with naturally curly hair.
Suntory began distribution of Midori in the United States in 1978. It was quickly taken up as a mixer by fern bars and tiki lounges that then blighted the Cocktail Nation. An explosion of drinks were made and given a gamut of predictably stupid names ("Melonballer" comes to mind). The company expanded their distribution to Australia and Europe in the 1980s. During this time in the United States, shooters and pousse-café drinks utilized the sweet taste and iridescent color of Midori. But after a quarter century, only the Midori Sour has become a widely recognized drink, although variations on what exactly it is (cocktail or tall drink) remain.
The Midori Sour is a simple cocktail designed to show off the sweet taste of the eponymous musk melon favored liquor. Although the bitters are at their best when mixed with a sympathetic gin, sweet liquors are complemented by sour tastes. The Midori Sour is based upon the classic sweet-sour drink, the Amaretto Sour, just as is the Chambord Sour.
Midori Sour
- 2 ounces Midori liquor
- ž ounce lemon juice
Pour over crushed ice and shake.
Serve either "up" (in a cocktail glass), "over" (in an old fashioned with fresh cubed ice), "frappé" (old fashioned glass, shaved ice if possible), or "tall" (highball glass, cube ice, 2-3 ounces lemon-lime soda).
Garnish with an orange wheel.
For some, without a doubt, this is not sweet enough. A bit of simple syrup on hand to make quick adjustments will help you work it out (but more than about 1 teaspoon, makes the drink reprehensibly sweet).
As much as I dislike drinks this sweet, upon occasion I can be convinced. I have found that I prefer it served over ice, as the melt dilutes it while I convince myself to take a sip. In my own variant on this drink, I replace the lemon juice with Calpis concentrate (in the same amount). The taste is exactly like milk candy and watermelon jolly ranchers together. This I call a "Midori Milk Sour".
Information on the distribution of Midori taken from <www.midori-world.com/product/index.html> However, the Midori Sour recipe listed there is poorly proportioned.
gnarl says Oh, man. I haven't had Midori for ages. Kryptonite that stuff is.
Everything Bartender
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