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Tokyo Tea

Also known as Tokyo Iced Tea, Japanese Long Island

It's essentially a Long Island Iced Tea that swaps cola for Midori, giving it a bright green look and a sweet melon kick.

melonsweetstrongcitrusfruitytallpartygreensouriced

%

ABV

Difficulty

Tokyo Tea

Overview

What this drink is like

The first sip hits you with a sharp, sweet melon flavor that tries to hide the heavy pour of liquor underneath. As it sits on your tongue, the citrus and gin botanicals push through the sweetness. The finish is warm and boozy, reminding you that this is a very strong drink wearing a fruity disguise.

Who will like it

This is for people who like strong, sweet cocktails that go down easy and don't taste like the amount of alcohol in them.

When to drink

Save this for a night out or a party starter when you want a strong drink that goes down fast.

Ordering tip

Ask the bartender to go easy on the sour mix if you don't want it overly sweet, or request fresh citrus instead of bottled mix to balance the melon.

Ice: CubedTemp: ColdCost: $12–$18Glass: HighballBatch-friendlyHome bar friendly

Flavor

Taste profile

This drink tastes like sweet melon candy up front, backed up by a sharp citrus tang. It goes down smooth and cold, but the booze hits hard once it settles. The mix of four different spirits mostly just adds a general alcoholic warmth rather than distinct flavors. It's a simple, fruity, and very strong drink that doesn't ask you to think too hard about it.

Finish: The finish is short and warm, with a lingering sweet melon note and a harsh alcoholic bite at the back of the throat.

Primary tastes

sweetfruityherbal

Secondary

sourbitter

Aroma

meloncitrusalcohol vapor
  • Bitternesslow bitterness

    Only a faint herbal bite from the gin and Midori comes through the heavy sweetness.

  • Sweetnessvery sweet

    The Midori and simple syrup push this firmly into sweet territory, masking the strong spirits.

  • Sournessmoderate acidity

    The lemon juice provides a solid tartness that tries to balance the melon sweetness.

  • Strengthvery strong

    Four different base spirits add up quickly, making this one of the strongest cocktails on a menu.

  • Refreshingfairly refreshing

    Served cold over ice with citrus, it drinks easily despite the heavy alcohol load.

  • Complexitymoderate complexity

    The melon dominates the profile, making the blend of four spirits taste more like a single fruity punch.

Recipe

Make it at home

Shaken · Highball · equal parts on Vodka. Unflavored, neutral spirit

Before you start

Fill your highball glass with ice and set it aside to chill while you build the drink. If you're using fresh lemon, squeeze it before you start pouring spirits.

Ingredients

  • VodkaBase Spirit15ml
  • GinBase SpiritLondon Dry recommended15ml
  • White RumBase Spirit15ml
  • TequilaBase SpiritBlanco tequila15ml
  • MidoriLiqueurMelon liqueur15ml
  • Lemon JuiceJuiceFreshly squeezed30ml
  • Simple SyrupoptionalSyrupOmit if using commercial sour mix instead of fresh lemon15ml
  • Lemon SliceGarnish1 slice

Garnish: Lemon slice

Tools

  • Cocktail Shaker · Shaking

    To combine and chill the spirits and citrus with ice quickly

    At home: A large mason jar with a tight lid

  • Jigger · Measuring

    To measure out the small equal pours of each spirit accurately

    At home: A shot glass or measuring spoons

  • Hawthorne Strainer · Straining

    To keep the ice out of the glass when pouring the drink

    At home: A fine mesh kitchen sieve

  • Highball Glass · Serving

    To serve the drink over fresh ice with enough room for the volume

    At home: Any tall glass tumbler

Ingredients and tools to make Tokyo Tea
Ingredients and tools

Steps

  1. 1

    Take the lid off your shaker and add 15ml each of vodka, gin, white rum, tequila, and Midori. Use your jigger to measure each one so you don't over-pour, since this drink is already very strong.

    Step 1 — how to make Tokyo Tea

    !Free-pouring the spirits leads to a drink that tastes like pure alcohol and overpowers the melon.

  2. 2

    Add 30ml of fresh lemon juice and 15ml of simple syrup to the shaker. The citrus needs to be fresh to cut through all that liquor and sweetness.

    Step 2 — how to make Tokyo Tea

    !Using bottled lemon juice makes the drink taste flat and artificially sour.

  3. 3

    Fill the shaker tin about three-quarters full with ice. Secure the lid tightly so it won't fly off when you shake.

    Step 3 — how to make Tokyo Tea

    !Under-filling the shaker with ice means the drink won't get cold enough and the ice will melt too fast.

  4. 4

    Shake the shaker hard for about 10 to 12 seconds. You'll know it's done when the outside of the metal tin feels freezing cold and frost starts forming on the outside.

    ~12s

    Step 4 — how to make Tokyo Tea

    !Shaking too softly doesn't chill the drink fast enough, leaving it watery and lukewarm.

  5. 5

    Pop the lid off the shaker and fit your Hawthorne strainer over the top. Pour the drink through the strainer into your ice-filled highball glass, letting the liquid fill the glass to just below the rim.

    Step 5 — how to make Tokyo Tea

    !Pouring too fast can splash the drink over the rim of the glass.

  6. 6

    Take your lemon slice and cut a small slit from the center to the edge. Slide it right onto the rim of the glass and serve it immediately while it's still cold.

    Step 6 — how to make Tokyo Tea

Serve

Serve it right away in a tall glass over plenty of fresh ice. The green color stands out best in a clear glass, so skip the colored tumblers.

Variations

Ingredient substitutions

Each row shows what you can swap in place of an original ingredient, and how the drink changes.

Swap options for Midori

  • MidoriBols Melon Liqueur
    Match
    Common availability

    Midori → Bols Melon Liqueur: Slightly less sweet with a more natural honeydew flavor instead of Midori's candy-like profile.

  • MidoriWatermelon Liqueur
    Match
    Specialty availability

    Midori → Watermelon Liqueur: Shifts the flavor from honeydew to watermelon, making the drink taste slightly lighter and more summery.

Swap options for Simple Syrup

  • Simple SyrupSour Mix
    Match
    Common availability

    Simple Syrup → Sour Mix: Combines the sweet and citrus elements but often tastes more artificial and overly sweet than fresh lemon and syrup.

Related

Similar cocktails

Cousin drinks that share DNA with this one — each profile stands on its own.

Long Island Iced Tea

Similar cocktail

Long Island Iced Tea

The Long Island uses cola instead of Midori, giving it a darker color and a caramel-cola flavor instead of sweet melon.

Match

Both drinks hit you with the same amount of alcohol, but the Tokyo Tea tastes like a fruity melon soda while the Long Island tastes closer to a boozy cola.

In common: Very strong, Shaken and served tall, Multiple base spirits

Ingredients

Both share

Vodka, Gin, White Rum, Tequila, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup

Only in Tokyo Tea

Midori

Only in Long Island Iced Tea

Cola

Swapping cola for Midori completely changes the flavor direction from a fake-tea, caramel taste to a bright, fruity melon drink.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Heavy alcoholic backbone, Citrus tartness, Sweet profile

How Long Island Iced Tea differs

Fruity instead of cola-flavored, Brighter green color, Slightly sweeter finish

View recipe & details →

Midori Sour

Similar cocktail

Midori Sour

The Midori Sour uses only vodka as its base spirit, making it much lighter and lower in alcohol than the Tokyo Tea.

Match

The Midori Sour is an easy-drinking, lighter cocktail, while the Tokyo Tea hits the same melon notes but with a serious alcoholic punch.

In common: Melon-forward flavor, Sweet and sour profile, Shaken

Ingredients

Both share

Midori, Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup

Only in Tokyo Tea

Gin, White Rum, Tequila

Only in Midori Sour

Vodka

The Tokyo Tea piles on three extra spirits compared to the Midori Sour, turning a light fruity drink into a heavy-hitting cocktail.

Flavor

Shared flavors

Dominant melon sweetness, Citrus tartness, Green color

How Midori Sour differs

Much stronger, More complex spirit flavor, Heavier mouthfeel

View recipe & details →

History

Origin

The Tokyo Tea emerged during the 1980s as a colorful variation of the Long Island Iced Tea. The exact creator and bar are unknown, but it was designed to capitalize on the popularity of Midori and the Long Island template, swapping cola for melon liqueur to give the drink its signature green color.

Era
1980s
Confidence

The exact origin is undocumented, and the recipe proportions vary slightly between bars, with some using sour mix instead of fresh lemon and syrup.

Practical

Tips & pitfalls

What works at home and what to skip when making this drink.

Tips

Worth knowing before you pour

  • Use fresh lemon juice to cut through the heavy sweetness of the Midori.
  • Skip the simple syrup if you find the Midori makes the drink sweet enough.
  • Chill your glass in the freezer for a few minutes before making the drink.

Avoid

Common mistakes

  • Don't use cheap tequila or rum, as the harsh bite will break through the melon.
  • Don't skip the fresh citrus, or the drink will taste like flat candy.