Green Melon Sour
Dry shake ∙ 5 min ∙ 9.5% ABV ∙
The Green Melon Sour is a shaken sour built on green melon liqueur, lemon and lime juice, and egg white, served over ice in an old-fashioned glass. Melon sweetness leads, cut fast by tart citrus, while the egg white turns the whole thing plush and cloud-soft on the finish.
Ingredients
1
Servings
Garnish
Instructions for 1 serving
- Pre-chill a glass
- Shake all ingredients with ice: Green melon liqueur 60 mlLemon juice 15 mlLime juice 15 mlEgg white 15 ml
- Strain back into the shaker
- Dry shake (without ice) to emulsify
- Fine strain into the ice-filled glass
- Garnish with a lemon slice and a maraschino cherry
Tips
- Double shake: shake with ice first, strain back into the shaker, then dry shake without ice to fully emulsify the egg white.
- Fine-strain into the ice-filled glass after the dry shake to keep any coarse foam or ice shards out of the pour.
- Use pasteurized egg white and shake hard on the second, ice-free shake — a weak dry shake leaves a thin, unstable foam.
History
The Green Melon Sour belongs to the family of sour cocktails built on green melon liqueur that spread through American bars in the 1980s, following the US debut of Suntory's Midori. Midori had been sold in Japan from 1964 under the name Hermes Melon Liqueur before being rebranded and launched stateside in 1978 at a Studio 54 party held for the cast and crew of Saturday Night Fever. Its bright green color and melon flavor made it a fixture of disco-era drink menus, and bartenders quickly paired it with citrus and sugar in a standard sour format to create the Midori Sour and its many house variations, of which the Green Melon Sour is one, often finished with egg white for texture. No single bartender or bar is credited with inventing this particular sour; it developed as a generic template for serving the liqueur once it reached American bars.
FAQ
What is a melon sour?
A melon sour is a cocktail style built on a melon liqueur shaken with citrus juice for balance. This Green Melon Sour follows that pattern, using egg white to give it a silky, sweet-tart finish.
How do you make a melon sour?
Shake green melon liqueur with lemon juice, lime juice, and egg white over ice, then strain the mix back into the shaker and dry shake it without ice to build a smooth foam. Fine-strain into an ice-filled glass and finish with a lemon slice and a maraschino cherry.
What alcohol goes with melon?
Green melon liqueur is the natural base for a melon-forward drink like this one, since it supplies the melon flavor directly rather than needing a separate spirit paired with it. Citrus juice complements it well, cutting its sweetness, as this build does.
