Recipe: The Formosa Sour

Kate Grutman runs the beverage program at Formosa Cafe in West Hollywood. For her summer cocktail menu she took inspiration from old cocktail menus and late celebrities’ favorite cocktails. She makes her Formosa Sour with housemade Midori which includes honeydew melons, lychees and orange flower water. Keep reading for her recipes…

Formosa Sour

1 oz fresh lime juice


1.5 oz Absolute Mandarin Vodka

1.5 oz Homemade Midori

Shake with ice, strain into a chilled coupe or martini glass and garnish with cherries of your choice.

To make your own Midori:

Take one whole honeydew that is fully ripe and ready to eat. Cut the melon into chunks, disgarding the seeds and rind, and puree in the food processor. Once it’s smooth and liquified, add extra fine white sugar to taste. Usually for one melon, you will need 3/4 to 1 cup, depending on how sweet the melon is and how sweet you like the drink to end up… Since there is no additional sugar or sweetening agent, other than the homemade midori, added to the cocktail, sweeter is ok.

Continue running the sugar and melon mixture in the food processor and add 1/2 a can of canned lychees into the mix in addition to about 1/4 of the preserving syrup from the can. Continue mixing on high and add 2 teaspoons of orange flower water (can be found at any local Ralphs or Wholefoods) and a couple drops of green food coloring.

When all ingredients are fully incorporated and pureed, strain the mixture through a chinois or fine strainer to remove the excess melon pulp/fiber.

add 2 oz of unflavored (preferably a high proof) Vodka to the mixture to stabilize it and pour into a resealable container and store in the refrigerator.