Midori: The chances are there’s a bottle on your back bar.
The chances also are that you haven’t used it a whole lot recently, the truth is you aren’t entirely sure what to do or perhaps even where to start with it.
Fear not folks, a man is on a mission to reinvigorate what was once one of the coolest (or ‘hippest’ in those days) brands on the planet. The man’s name is Manuel Terron, his role is Midori Global Brand Ambassador and he has just been visiting the UK to start the process of Midori education.
Manuel may not be hugely known in the UK bar scene but he has a pedigree of 28 years in the drinks industry, including many years behind the stick in New York, Barcelona and Sydney amongst others – this guy knows his apples. Or indeed Melons.
He has spent the last few months finding out all about Midori, its history, its production and then taking this knowledge and coming up with some new cocktails. The new cocktails are great, but first a little about the product itself that you may or may not already know:
- It took Suntory 7 years to develop Midori after American bartenders discovered the original brand, Hermes Melon Liqueur, back in 1971
- Launched in 1978 at Studio 54 in New York (okay we all knew that one)
- Made from two types of Melon’s both grown in Japan – Musk Melons and Yubari Melons
- These Melons are the Kobe Beef of the melon world with under soil heating and hand turning all part of the processes
- One pair of Yubari Melons sold for $26,000 in 2008 (insert your own expensive Melon double entendre here)
- The Yubari Melon is distilled, the Musk is infused in neutral spirit and then both mixed with Grape Spirit from Cognac, natural sweetener and colourant before being filtered
- In 2007 the new bottle was launched and the sugar was dropped by 1/3rd to 225g per litre
It is the different flavour profiles of these melons that have been Manuel’s inspiration for the new cocktails he has created. The Musk is better suited to Lighter spirits (vodka, gin, tequila etc) and the Yubari is all about the Darker spirits (whiskey, cognac etc). As if to prove the point he then preceded to knock out a selection of cocktails. Our favourite two are below and we urge you to get that bottle of Midori down before you start your next shift and mix these up, you’ll be glad you did.
Green Eyed Ginger
- 2cm square knob of fresh Ginger
- 40ml Tequila
- 30ml Midori
- 20ml Orange Juice
- 10ml Lime
Muddle the Ginger, add all ingredients and shake with ice. Double strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with fresh ginger.
Midtown Muse
- 45ml Yamazaki 10 or 12 year old (failing this any 12 yo Speyside whiskey works well)
- 20ml Midori
- 5ml Monin Vanille
- 3 good hearty dashes of Angostura Bitters
Stir over ice, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a flamed orange peel
If you want more info or to get your hands on some more Midori contact the lovely folk at Cellar Trends