Classic cocktail · Guided recipe

Midori Margarita

Melon liqueur brings sugar and a green loud enough to look synthetic, which is why the lime runs high in this one. Skip that and you're drinking candy. Keep it at a full 22 ml and the tequila still gets heard.

Preparation~3 minEasyStrengthStrongabout 27% ABVMethodShaken10 guided stepsIngredients4Margarita (coupette) glass

Sour

In the glassTequila (blanco) · Melon liqueur · Fresh lime juice · Triple sec / Cointreau

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What goes in

Ingredients

An empty clear margarita glass with a distinctive wide double bowl and slender stem. — Serving glassMargarita glass

Set up before you pour

Use a margarita glass.

The broad stepped bowl leaves an easy-to-sip rim and space for salt without hiding the drink.

Standard size: 250 ml8½ oz
Ice & serve: Fill it with fresh ice cubes.
If you don’t own one: Use a coupe for an up serve or a rocks glass over ice.

Tools to set out

cocktail shaker
strainer (or a small sieve)
jigger or measuring spoon

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Scale to your margarita (coupette) glassWe’ll remember this glass size.

Tequila (blanco)45 ml
Melon liqueur15 ml
Triple sec / Cointreau8 ml
Fresh lime juice22 ml

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From bottle to glass

Method

01
Season the edge
Rim the glass with salt — run a lime wedge around the edge, then roll it in a saucer of salt
Why it mattersSalt only the outer half of the rim so every sip isn’t salty. Prefer it clean? Skip this step.
02
Measure into the shaker
Pour 45 ml tequila into your shaker
- Tequila (blanco)
03
Measure into the shaker
Add 15 ml melon liqueur
- Melon liqueur
04
Measure into the shaker
Add 22 ml fresh lime juice
- Fresh lime juice
05
Measure into the shaker
Add 8 ml triple sec / cointreau
- Triple sec / Cointreau
06
Ice the shaker
Fill the shaker with ice
Why it mattersFill it right up — more ice chills faster with less watering down.
07
Seal and shake
Seal and shake hard
Why it mattersCold hands mean it’s working. Shake until the tin frosts over.
08
Ice the glass
Fill your glass with fresh ice
09
Strain cleanly
Strain into your glass
Why it mattersPour through the strainer so the spent shaker ice stays behind.
10
Finish the drink
Finish it — add a lime wheel

Know your drink

About the Midori Margarita

A salt-rimmed Margarita, coral Paloma and mezcal rocks drink on an agave terrace.

Midori and the eighties

Suntory brought Midori to the American market in 1978, and the story usually told is that it launched at a party at Studio 54. Whatever the truth of that, the bottle became shorthand for a decade of bright green drinks, then fell out of fashion just as hard as it had arrived.

Melon liqueur is doing two jobs at once, sugar and color, and it is not subtle about either. That's an argument for a blanco with real pepper to it rather than something soft and vanilla-forward, because you need a spirit that can be heard over the fruit. Anything aged just adds oak the drink has no use for.

Common questions

Midori Margarita FAQ

Will any melon liqueur do, or is Midori the point?

Midori is the one that gives you that specific green. Other melon liqueurs run drier and paler, and several taste more of honeydew than the candied muskmelon Midori goes for. If you pour a drier bottle, expect to add 5 ml of syrup to compensate.

Does a salt rim work on something this sweet?

Better than you'd think, because salt cuts sugar. Rim only half the glass so people can choose their side. Use coarse flakes rather than fine table salt, and wet just the outside edge so none of it falls in and dissolves.

How much sweeter is this than a standard Margarita?

Noticeably. You are adding 15 ml of a sugar-heavy liqueur on top of the triple sec without taking anything out. If it turns cloying, drop the triple sec entirely and let the melon do all the sweetening, or push the lime up to 25 ml.

Can I blend it frozen?

It takes to a blender better than most Margaritas do, because the extra sugar keeps the texture from going icy and granular. Use a cup of crushed ice per drink and add 5 ml more lime, since freezing dulls acidity and lets the sweetness shout.

What ingredients are in a Midori Margarita?

A classic Midori Margarita calls for 45 ml (1.5 oz) Tequila, 15 ml (0.5 oz) Melon liqueur, 22 ml (0.75 oz) Fresh lime juice, 8 ml (0.25 oz) Triple sec / Cointreau. That single-serve spec scales cleanly — the recipe above converts it to oz and multiplies it for 2–4 drinks.

How strong is a Midori Margarita?

A standard Midori Margarita is roughly 27% ABV once mixed (before ice melt softens it further). That makes it spirit-forward — closer to a Martini than to a beer, so sip it slowly.

Is a Midori Margarita shaken or stirred?

A Midori Margarita is shaken — the rule of thumb is to shake anything with citrus juice. About 13 seconds with plenty of ice chills and dilutes it correctly.

Sharpen the technique