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Midori is a liqueur produced by Suntory, the most well-known spirits group in Japan. It is a slightly sweet melon-flavored liqueur that is primarily made with Japanese melons. It has a mild and earthy melon flavor without being overly sweet. With only 21% alcohol by volume, Midori is enjoyable on its own as a shot or served over ice, but it also pairs well with a variety of spirits in cocktails.

The production of Midori revolves around melon. The beverage starts with the juice of yubari muskmelons, a rare Japanese melon that grows exclusively in Yubari, Hokkaido, and can be sold for prices ranging from $40 to $20,000 per melon. Yubari melon juice is blended with juice from a few other melon varieties to add depth. The juices are infused into a neutral alcohol, then mixed with eau-de-vie and fortified. The result is a sweet liqueur with a succulent mouthfeel and a pure melon flavor.

While Midori pairs well with spirits like rye whiskey, it also works great with gin, vodka, tequila, and even rum. It is particularly famous for its starring role in a Midori Sour, where it is mixed with vodka, lemon juice, lime juice, and plenty of soda. Replacing the vodka with shochu, a Japanese spirit made from rice and other grains, gives a smoother expression of the cocktail. The Midori Shochu Sour combines the melon liqueur with herbaceous green tea and creamy shochu and was developed by Julia Momose, owner of Chicago's Kumiko and author of The Way of the Cocktail: Japanese Traditions, Techniques & Recipes

Source: Food and Wine