Best Tokyo Tea Cocktail (Easy Recipe)

Matcha green and bursting with melon goodness, the Tokyo Tea is my new favorite cocktail.

If you love the Long Island Iced Tea, you’ll love its Japanese-inspired cousin. In fact, you may like this Midori-forward twist even better! 

Much like the Long Island Iced Tea, every sip of the Tokyo Tea is sweet and dangerous. This delicious, fruity, citrusy-sour libation goes down easy. Real easy. 

Tokyo Tea Cocktail

The Tokyo Iced Tea cocktail is a lime green, boozy sipper, perfect for parties or lounging poolside. It contains a potent mix of liquors that can knock you on your back. 

This recipe features gin, vodka, white rum, tequila blanco, Cointreau, sweet ’n’ sour syrup, and Midori.

Of course, the Midori is where it gets its neon hue and bright honeydew melon flavor. 

Top it with club soda for a light effervescence that tickles the tongue. 

Ingredients

• Gin- Use your favorite gin. A high-quality gin is best. I like Sipsmith London Dry or New Amsterdam. 

• Vodka- I like Titos or Hangar 1. But you can use whichever you like best. 

• White Rum- White is best because it’s light and won’t compete with the Midori. But you can use aged or dark if that’s what you have.

• Blanco Tequila- A little earthy, peppery, and sweet. 

• Midori Melon- It’s not Tokyo Tea without Midori! 

• Cointreau- The orange flavor compliments the melon beautifully.

• Sweet and Sour Syrup- A little tart to balance the sweetness. You can buy a sour syrup, use a mix, or make your own (recipe in the recipe card). 

• Club Soda- For some gentle bubbles!

• Ice and Garnishes– No drink is complete without ‘em! Use ice in the glass. Garnish with a cocktail cherry and a lime wheel. 

What is Midori?

Midori is a Japanese melon liqueur featuring Yubari cantaloupe and muskmelon flavors. It is sweet but not toothache-inducing, with a touch of earthiness. 

Producers combine the melon juices with a neutral-flavored spirit and brandy. The result is a tasty, pure melon flavor.

Fun Fact: “Midori” means green in Japanese.

You can enjoy Midori straight or in many Midori cocktails. So, don’t hesitate to buy it for this recipe! You will get your money’s worth from it. 

How To Make the Tokyo Iced Tea Cocktail

1. Add the alcohol and sour syrup to a highball glass. Add ice to the glass and stir. 

2. Top it with club soda. Add just enough club soda to finish the drink. It should be light and bubbly. Stir it gently.

3. Garnish and enjoy! Add a cocktail cherry and lime wedge for garnish. 

Substitutions and Recipe Variations

• You CANNOT substitute the Midori in this recipe. It makes the drink. 

• Don’t like one of the other alcohols? No problem! You can skip any of the liquors you don’t like. Just double one that you enjoy.

• Substitute the Cointreau. Out of Cointreau? Try Triple Sec, Blue Curacao, Grand Marnier, or Orange Curacao. 

• Make it extra fruit-tastic! Add fruit juice or lemonade. Or try a flavored liquor like Malibu or your favorite fruity vodka.

• Try bitters. Bitters can help balance out the sweetness of the drink. 

• Use your favorite light soda. Instead of club soda, try Sprite, 7-Up, Squirt, ginger ale, or ginger beer!