The Australian Origins Of The Japanese Slipper Cocktail

Trends are cyclical. From skinny jeans to ankle socks to fruity and flashy cocktails, the pendulum of public opinion will always swing back around. Currently in its upswing, Midori and Midori-based cocktails like the Australian icon the Japanese slipper, first made popular in 1984 in Melbourne. Featuring equal parts Midori, Cointreau, and lemon juice, the Japanese Slipper is a refreshing cocktail without the harsh bite of any hard liquor.

After its debut in the U.S. in the mid-70s, Midori sales reps swarmed to new markets around the globe like barflies to a neon sign. By 1984, Midori had made its way to the Australian liquor market where bartender Jean-Paul Bourguignon first tried the vivid verdant liqueur. Midori's signature melon flavor comes from the rare Japanese muskmelon grown in few regions of Japan. His idea to incorporate Midori into a drink was a smashing success. The sweetness from the melon liqueur, the assertiveness of Cointreau, and a splash of lemon juice for acidity create a wonderfully balanced drink — so much so the company eventually immortalized his recipe by adding it to its official collection online.

Bourguignon, an immigrant to Australia from France, was still perfecting his English when he created the cocktail. The curious name is a nod to the Japanese origins of the liqueur as well as Bouruignon's discovery of the English word "slipper" from a book he had been reading at the time.

After leaving the restaurant where Bourguignon had created the cocktail (Mietta's), he took the drink with him as he toured Australia working as an industry consultant. However, it wasn't until the early aughts that the Japanese Slipper was picked up by an ambassador for Midori becoming one of the pivotal drinks for the brand. Recently, Jean-Paul Bouruignon's Japanese Slipper has been reappearing on Australian cocktail menus as Midori swings back into the lime (green) light of the bartending world. The "refreshingly sweet" liqueur, as Midori calls itself, has featured a rebrand as of late, focusing more on the natural flavors of the muskmelon and using less artificial flavors. 

With the shift to fit modern demographics, Midori can even be used to spruce up classic cocktails like Margaritas, and it's perfect when served in a tropical fruit rind as a glass. And the Japanese slipper isn't the only drink that started Down Under and spread globally. Australia has given the world fun drinking games like Goon of Fortune and even inspired a WWII cocktail called the Kangaroo Kicker, so it's high time that Australia's flashier gift to the drinking world took center stage. Enter the deliciously (and perhaps surprisingly) balanced delight, the Japanese slipper.