It’s Everywhere, It’s So Julia — Midori Is Brat

Picture this: The year is 1978 and “Stayin’ Alive” is blasting from the speakers at New York City’s hottest nightclub, Studio 54. You somehow gain access to the exclusive discotheque and, after sweating with your fellow clubbers for a few songs, you make your way over to the bar. The bartender thrusts a Hulk green cocktail into your hands and you take a sip, allowing the melon-flavored concoction to wash over your taste buds.

“What is this?” you ask the bartender. “A Japanese Gin & Tonic,” they respond, hands already busy prepping the next drink. “It’s to celebrate the launch of Midori, this new Japanese liqueur.”

This conversation, of course, never actually happened, but Midori — a bright green Japanese melon liqueur — did actually make its U.S. debut at the iconic nightclub during a party featuring the cast and crew of “Saturday Night Fever,” including John Travolta. And while the stars may have been sipping on a G&T variation that evening, it was the Midori Sour that truly embedded itself in the ‘70s and ‘80s cocktail canon.

Made with one part Midori and one part sour mix, the Midori Sour in its original form lacked balance, with sweet, borderline cloying flavors stealing the show. Coupled with its vibrant hue, the cocktail — and the fruity liqueur — was something bartenders were eager to move away from by the time the cocktail renaissance kicked off in the early aughts.

But something shifted in the mid-2010s. Midori got a refresh in