Midori melon liqueur has teamed up with leading London mixologists Marian Beke of Nightjar and Amit Sood of Shaker BarConsultancy to create a series of seasonal serves.
The collaboration is the first of its kind for Midori and continues the brand’s initiative to promote the versatility of the liqueur to mixologists across Europe.
Amit and Marian have designed a selection of serves that use traditional and exotic ingredients to curate a cocktail collection for all seasons and varied levels of expertise.
They range from the simple Midori Summer Spritz (pictured top) to the more complex and theatrical Japanese Swizzle.
Midori UK brand manager Nick Barker said: “It is important for Midori to continue working with industry leaders to create exciting cocktails for our customers.
“We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with Amit and Marian, two of Europe’s leading mixologists, to design new cocktails for the on-trade market that incorporate leading trends and flavours, making this a fantastic, versatile collection of serves.”
Amit, who is head of training for Shaker BarConsultancy, said: “Midori is a key cocktail ingredient for the majority of bars across the UK, so it was a privilege to work with such an iconic liqueur brand and a fun, dynamic, and exciting project to be involved in.
“With all of the serves we created we used both advanced and simple technical methodology to make sure the flavours of Midori stood out.”
Marian, bar manager at Nightjar at Old Street, added: “When challenged to create a collection of cocktails for Midori, I decided to take advantage of its versatility and take inspiration from the seasons and Midori’s Japanese heritage.
“The summer serves are fresh and fruity, and the winter serves have deeper flavours using heavier herbal tones.”
Summer Spritz by Amit Sood
20ml Midori
15ml Fresh lemon juice
15ml Passion fruit juice
2 raspberries
Top up with cold white wine
Dash of soda
Pour Midori, raspberries, passion fruit juice and lemon juice into a cocktail shaker, add ice. Shake hard for five seconds and strain into a flute. Top up with white wine and soda. Garnish with a raspberry.
Amit commented: “This is a perfect alternative to the summer classic, Bellini. It sings of the summer and has great tropical and fresh fruit aromas.”
Japanese Swizzle by Marian Beke
25ml Midori
25ml Sake
1 barspoon of roasted rice tea
10ml Kombucha
3 dashes pandan / Kewra water
15ml Stevia syrup
Pour all ingredients directly into glass and swizzle with a Japanese matcha brush. Serve in a Japanese tea cup and garnish with green tea perfume over a ribbon.
