Midori in a new avatar

It was a “green” evening at Bonobo,Bandra and the occasion was the introduction of “Midori” an emerald-green coloured, Melon liqueur in a new avatar. It is from the house of Suntory,Japan; also known for its whiskies and imported in the country by Aspri spirits a leading imported of wines and spirits. “Midori” means green in Japanese, and this liqueur can truly do justice to the significance of  the colour.

What does green stand for?

Balance and  Harmony:  This  green liquid  is made from the choicest of aromatic  musk melons and has around 240 grams of sugar/litre ( not too sweet for liqueurs) making it a perfect ingredient for mixing. A  dash of liqueur because of its intense flavour can bring in the balance to a drink. The  green colour here is  an additive and sometimes the colour  be discouraging to use in cocktails,however as Manuel Terron the global brand ambassador for Midori asserted “ Not every Midori cocktail has to be green”  and he demonstrated  the same while churning up some fantastic cocktails.

Hope:Midori is perfect  spring/summertime refreshing  drink . With spring comes hope,hope of life,hope of growth. It is easily mixable and some recipes like Midori,ginger ale and lime, Midori lemon and soda, Midori and pineapple are child’s play to make but refined to drink.

Midori cocktails:

Well sky is the limit  when it comes to cocktails and the menu for the evening was crafted using local ingredients. One thing that caught my eye was the ‘Newton’s theory’ a mix of Midori, Apple,whiskey and ginger, amazingly refreshing it was! Why Newton’s Theory, because a glass of cocktail that goes up has to go down your throat and the apple connection is obvious!

Manuel’s favourite tipple:  12 yr Single Malt+ Vanilla Liqueur+Midori+ Angostura bitters  with a flamed orange peel…Complex isn’t it!

Midori and India?

Indians have a big sweet-tooth and this green beauty perfectly fits the bill as it is extremely sweet on the nose with an opulent aroma of Melons and sweet on the palate too. India recognizes the fruit and know its use and hence they can experiment with various mixers till one finds their perfect one.

If you were to change one thing in India?…. Manuel Terron said “ Taxation is killing the market here, sourcing  of quality ingredients and variety of  alcohol at  ridiculous prices is hampering the rise of the “cocktail” culture. With the international hub that India is, its major cities like  Mumbai and Delhi  will certainly not lag behind the likes of New York and London in terms of the bartending scene if pricing were fixed.”

And last significance of the colour green is envy. If you remember the Onida Television strapline a decade  back, “ Neighbour’s envy,owner’s pride”.  So go flash your ‘Midori’