CLASSIC COCKTAIL · 1980–1999
Midori Illusion
Midori, vodka, orange liqueur, pineapple and lemon: the bright green Australian highball of the late 1980s.
1980sDisputed classificationNeeds verification
The Midori Illusion is a late-1980s Australian highball built around the melon liqueur, with vodka, orange liqueur, pineapple and lemon holding it together. It belongs to the same moment as the Woo Woo and the Fuzzy Navel, when brightly coloured liqueurs carried bar menus, and it stayed popular in Australia long after it faded elsewhere. The name is a fair warning: the drink is sweet and very green.
- Australian bars kept the recipe alive through the 1990s while other markets dropped it.
- Midori Splice (with cream)
- Midori Sour
“Midori was launched in 1978 and its colour was the selling point before its flavour was.”
THE RECIPESweet, melon-forward and tart
Ingredients
- Midori30 ml
- Vodka15 ml
- Triple sec15 ml
- Pineapple juice60 ml
- Lemon juice15 ml
- Lemon sliceto garnish
Method
Shake all the liquids with ice, strain into a highball over fresh ice and garnish with a lemon slice.
Highball · ice · lemon slice