Midori’s colourful bar-comeback

You might think of contemporary bartenders as obsessive mixologists with custom made crystal mixing glasses or geeky nerds arguing over the perfect way to prepare a Martini. But beneath the surface of every bartender is a childish-like desire to get to know how things work. And what is more fascinating for a kid than a slush machine?

A little bit left of the centre of attention at Balderdash sits a holy trinity of slush machines with what can only be described as untraditional guilty pleasures. Espresso Martini on Slush? Already happened. Bailey’s? Been there, done that. Which is why on the current spring menu, Midori makes a delicious comeback to glory.

The name comes from the Japanese word for ‘green’, a testimony to its taste and cultural origin. The cantaloupe melon-flavoured liqueur was launched by Suntory in 1978, at a party hosting the staff, crew and cast of Saturday Night Fever. Midori was a rockstar of the 80ies when neon colour was more important to a drink than balancing its flavour notes. As the cocktail-trend descended back into more spirit and less juice, Midori faded from the shelves. But for Geoffrey, the mastermind behind Balderdash, nothing is off limits and thus Midori made its way on the back bar, and straight into the slush machine.

Unless you have a slush machine as a casual conversation breaker in the middle of your living room, these won’t be much use, but inspiration is always welcome, right?

Ingredients:

The base spirit is Dill Akvavit
Midori is blended with peeled whole cucumbers
Pineapple-Kaffir lime cordial
Pineapple juice for extra sweetness
Apple Acid solution for balance
Champagne for a touch of bubbles

Kaffir Perfume: a maceration of Kaffir in neutral alcohol, rotovaped and afterwards enhanced with neutral oil

Aesthetically pleasing and fun at first sight, the Midori Slush Puppy is served in a highball topped with more than a generous sprinkle of dried strawberry. The contrast of green and pink makes you smile even before you take a sip and upon tasting you might even laugh a bit.

On the tongue, the cocktail is fresh, sour and funky – thanks to many acidic ingredients, the flavours evolve on the palate patiently and evoke intrigue. The sweetness brought in through the Midori-cucumber mixture and pineapple-lime cordial is very subtle and guides you in a Piña Colada/Mojito direction with a wider array of flavours.

The familiar danger of drinking these by the gallon (accidentally!) is obvious from the look of the drink but it is refreshing to enjoy a Midori drink that you can come back to. To many, the liqueur may be a horrendous remnant of 80ies discos and juice-packed, sugary cocktails. But in a time where melon is finding its way back into cocktails, it deserves recognition as the original colourful flavour-booster and catalyst for cocktail-fun. It is a great starter to a wild night and also a very nice nightcap that will mellow your tastebuds as you are leaving the bar – knowing very well, that you’ll be back for round two very soon.

Balderdash has more up their sleeve so if you feel intrigued, pay them a visit and support a bar that has been nominated for both Byens Bedste and Ibyen-prisen. And while you’re in the neighbourhood, Strøm Bar is right around the corner! Share your weekend with us on Facebook or Instagram and give us tips for next time! What’s your favourite Spritz?