If all you know about Midori cocktails is the Midori sour, then you’re really missing out because Midori is fantastic.
I’m not sure there’s a single cocktail made with it that I don’t like.
Because of its bright green color and sweet muskmelon flavor, Midori is one liqueur that most people remember once they’ve tried it.
It’s a sugary, fruity liqueur, and it has a relatively low alcohol by volume (ABV) content.
So if you love cocktails that are sweet, maybe a little tart, and not too potent, Midori cocktails would be great for you.
And if you’re in the mood for something a bit stronger, you can always add a dash of gin or vodka in with the Midori (as many of these recipes do).
Midori Cocktails & Drink Recipes
1. Midori Sour
Since it’s the one that most people know, I decided to start with the Midori sour.
Of course, you can easily whip it up with sour mix, but this homemade recipe is far superior.
To make it, you’ll need Midori, lime and lemon juices, soda water, ice, and some colorful fruit garnishes.
It’s a bright green, totally zesty drink that’ll make you hiss and shout when that first jolt of sour flavor hits your tongue.
But you’ll definitely come back for more.
Ingredients: Midori, lime juice, lemon juice, soda water, ice, cocktail cherry, lime slice
2. Green Demon
If you could sum up the green demon in just one word, it would be sour. But it’s sour in the very best way imaginable.
All its flavor comes from the lemonade and Midori.
You’ll get hints of the vodka and white rum, but mostly, it’s those sharp flavors that’ll assault your tongue.
If you’re a fan of lemon drops, sour apple candies, and Toxic Waste (the candy, not the hazardous substance), you will adore the green demon.
Ingredients: Midori, vodka, white rum, lemonade
3. Shamrock Punch
If you’re in the mood for something a bit sweeter, try the shamrock punch instead.
Its light yellowish-green color will remind you of Mountain Dew, but its taste is much sweeter.
You can whip up a whole pitcher in about 5 minutes, and all you need is seltzer, vodka, Midori, pineapple juice, a lemon, and some maraschino cherries.
It’s sugary, full of pineapple goodness, and stronger than many other Midori cocktails because of the two cups of vodka.
Ingredients: seltzer, vodka, Midori, lime juice, lemon, maraschino cherries
4. Midori Martini
This lovely yellow drink combines vodka, Midori, lemonade (or lemon juice), and simple syrup.
You’ll also add a maraschino cherry for a splash of contrasting color.
The great thing about this cocktail is how customizable it is. If you’re looking for something sweet, use lemonade and go heavier on the simple syrup.
If you prefer your cocktails tart, use lemon juice (not lemonade) and increase the amount you use in relation to the simple syrup.
Ingredients: Midori, vodka, lemon juice, simple syrup, maraschino cherries
5. Green Hawaiian Cocktail
The green Hawaiian always reminds me of a pineapple, and that’s not just because of the way it tastes.
The color is light, unripe-fruit-green at the bottom, but it lightens to a vibrant yellow at the top.
In other words, it looks like a pineapple that isn’t completely ripe yet.
The taste has a strong pineapple aspect, too, though the citrus and melon notes are just as prominent.
If you want a drink that perfectly balances the sweet with the sour, the green Hawaiian is it.
Ingredients: Midori, Malibu rum, pineapple juice, sweet and sour mix, lemon-lime soda
6. Mermaid Drink
This drink proves once again that blue curacao’s brilliant blue hue can blot out whatever other colors you have in a mixed drink.
It completely engulfs the Midori’s bright green.
It’s gorgeous, though, and it tastes terrific.
It’s slightly sour with an underlying hint of melon sweetness. That’s pretty hard to beat.
Ingredients: simple syrup, lemon juice, vodka, Midori, blue Curacao
7. Midori Colada
This creamy, icy drink is a pina colada made with melon liqueur.
Honestly, the recipe is so different from a pina colada that I’m not even sure why they call it that.
I guess because they look similar and are both light and refreshing.
Still, it’s super yummy, so whatever you want to call it is fine with me, as long as you have an extra one to pass my way.
Ingredients: Midori melon liqueur, Bacardi white rum, canned coconut milk
8. Grinch Sangria
I love everything about this drink, from its green color to the strawberry hearts on the rim.
It’s beautiful, fun, and the ideal holiday drink.
It has everything you could want in a light, invigorating winter drink: Pinot Grigio, Midori, pineapple juice, Sprite, and two pounds of strawberries!
Add some honey and red sugar sprinkles to the rim for extra sweetness (and festiveness).
Cut the strawberries into heart shapes to represent the Grinch’s growing heart.
It’s an absolutely charming sangria that just so happens to taste as phenomenal as it looks.
Ingredients: pinot grigio, Midori melon liqueur, pineapple juice, Sprite, strawberries, honey, red-sugar sprinkles, heart-shaped strawberry
9. Midori Illusion
This vibrantly neon green drink looks stunning at the club under all those party lights, and luckily, it tastes great, too.
It has only five ingredients: Midori, vodka, triple sec, pineapple juice, and lemon juice.
It’s quick and straightforward to make, taking no more than 2 minutes.
It has a mildly tart taste, but the alcohol comes through too strongly in this one to be too mouth-puckering sour.
It’s very citrusy and very strong, so take it slow with this one.
Ingredients: Midori, vodka, triple sec, pineapple juice, lemon juice
10. Key Lime Pie Margarita
Here’s another drink that looks awesome for Christmas.
It’s creamy, rich, and tangy, just like the Key lime pie from which it takes its name.
If you like thick, velvety drinks (think spiked eggnog but with a majorly zesty kick), you’ll be a fan of this one, as well.
Ingredients: Reposado tequila, sweetened condensed milk, Midori, Key lime juice, coconut rum, vanilla vodka, confectioner’s sugar, green sugar or graham cracker crumbs, sliced lime
11. Shamrock Midori Martini
This cocktail, too, has a green sugared rim.
But its bright yellowish-green color makes it more appropriate for fun in the summer sun (or St. Paddy’s Day!) than the winter holidays.
You’ll make it with Midori, orange juice, vodka, and ice.
It’s sweet with just a hint of light bitterness, but the honey and sugar on the rim will smooth that out in no time.
Feel free to add kiwi, green melon, or even a green apple slice to the rim for a pretty, color-coded garnish.
Ingredients: Midori, vodka, orange juice, ice, green melon, green sugar, honey
12. Red Lobster Dew Garita
When I first tried a sip of a dew garita from Red Lobster, I didn’t have high hopes.
I’m not a huge Mountain Dew fan anyway, and the thought of it in a margarita was just… well, weird.
Surprisingly, though, I really liked the drink! So, of course, I had to figure out how to make it at home and save money.
As it turns out, all you need is tequila, Midori, sour mix, lime juice, triple sec, and Mountain Dew.
It’s citrusy, zesty, fruity, and more, and this homemade version tastes just like the real deal from Red Lobster.
Ingredients: tequila, Midori, sour mix, lime juice, triple sec, Mountain Dew
13. Melon Ball
If you like melons, particularly honeydew melon, then you’ll go nuts for this refreshing cocktail because that’s precisely what it tastes like.
It’s a simple, three-ingredient drink.
It combines Midori, vodka, and orange juice, with several pieces of honeydew added in for extra flavor and texture.
My advice? Let the melon chunks sit in the drink until the very last drop.
They tend to soak up more alcohol that way, turning them into boozy sweet treats that are hard not to love.
Ingredients: Midori, vodka, orange juice, honeydew melon
Great recipes, thank you.
I make a drink for my wife and I for our afternoon Happy Hour.
It was inspired by my wife’s favorite drink “Sex On The Beach”.
1 1/2oz Peach Nectar, 1 oz Lemon Juice, 1 oz Coconut syrup, 1 1/2oz Peach Schnapps. 1 1/2oz Malibu Rum, 1 1/2 oz Vodka. 4oz Orange juice, 4oz Cranberry juice and 4oz Tonic Water.
Combine all in shaker but put ice in 2 wine glasses, maybe 1/4C of Ice and pour drink over ice. This makes 2 + drinks and the ice in the glass will keep it cold while you sit on the patio on a hot afternoon.
Thanks so much, John! I tried this over the weekend and we loved it! Too cold to sit on the porch but it’ll be on my regular rotation during the summer 🙂