It’s time to talk about that neon green, melony, could-spot-it-a-mile-away liqueur – the underrated Midori – and one of its most famous cocktails, the Midori Illusion.
Originally called Hermes Melon Liqueur, the melon-flavoured drink was first created by Suntory in Japan in 1964. It wasn’t until 1978, when it was renamed Midori (meaning green in Japanese), that it was introduced to the US market. And what an introduction. It’s believed that one of the first people in America to taste the Japanese liqueur was none other than a young John Travolta, who was attending the after-party for Saturday Night Fever at Studio 54 in New York. Talk about good first impressions!
From that night on, Midori became a staple on the New York disco scene. Unfortunately, Midori fell on hard times in the early ’90s and 2000s, with many discerning drinkers opting for classic drinks instead of those featuring the sweet-flavoured Midori.
In response, Suntory reduced the amount of sugar in the liqueur in 2013, and a big publicity push helped launch the new Midori, along with a revived set of cocktails, including the Midori Illusion.
