Midori Melon Liqueur

I'm usually a whiskey drinker, but this is undeniably the best option available if you need a simple-to-prepare, crowd-pleasing cocktail. Mix Midori, pineapple juice, and vodka (Stoli is my usual choice). You won't be disappointed. This concoction is a variation on a 'melonball,' and maybe it already has a name, but who cares? Get it for people who appreciate delicious, fruity drinks, or for those who don't typically drink spirits – they'll love this. My second choice after this is Disaronno. While it's also great for certain straightforward cocktails, this amaretto has given me heartburn in my experience.

This transports me directly back to Japan every time I taste it. It's sweet, fragrant, slightly musky (likely from the musk melon), and a bit syrupy. Drink it neat, on the rocks, use it as a mixer for a visually stunning cocktail, or for my personal favorite: mix it with soda water and enjoy it chilled. It will taste just like the melon Fanta available in Japan.

It tastes like melon. It's not really something you'd drink straight on the rocks, but it works wonderfully with curaçao and ginger ale for an extremely sweet summer cocktail. Alternatively, you can reduce the curaçao or substitute it with lemon juice for a more fruity, slightly sweet, and very refreshing beverage.

An intriguing bright green color that shifts to yellow at the edges depending on the lighting. It has a sweet, candy-like scent of melon, green apple, and banana. The taste is sweet and sugary. It shares many similarities with cough syrup and Pepto Bismol, so it needs to be mixed.

Smells like Green Kool-Aid Jammer (Strawberry and Kiwi) with Honeydew and Hard Candy; tastes like medicine, children’s cough syrup, with a sticky sweet finish. Drank over ice.

On its own, Midori is interesting but not outstanding. However, for mixing drinks, I believe Midori is the premier melon liqueur to use.