Friday was National Vodka Day, which gave me the perfect excuse to experiment with vodka-based drinks. The result? The Chernobyl—a dangerously gorgeous cocktail that might just tempt you into having one too many. But be warned: like roentgens, it’s easy to exceed the recommended exposure limit.
Before we dive into this glowing green elixir, let’s start with a few vodka basics.
Vodka: A Blank Canvas
Vodka can be distilled from almost anything with fermentable sugar—grains, fruits, even vegetables like potatoes. The U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (27 CFR 5.22) defines vodka as: “neutral spirits so distilled, or so treated after distillation with charcoal or other materials, as to be without distinctive character, aroma, taste, or color.”
That doesn’t exactly sound seductive, but that neutrality is vodka’s superpower. Because it has no strong identity of its own, it becomes the ultimate chameleon—morphing seamlessly into whatever flavor profile you want. That versatility is why it’s a staple in so many cocktails, both classic and experimental.
Enter the Chernobyl
This drink starts with Midori, the strikingly green Japanese liqueur flavored with muskmelon. It’s eye-catching and wildly flavorful—everything you want in a drink that makes a statement. The result was something vibrant, a little mysterious, and surprisingly smooth. It’s not as strong as your average old-school cocktail, but the flavor hits hard in the best way.
One of my taste-testers called it the best cocktail I’ve ever made. With praise like that, I consider this little nuclear experiment a glowing success.
One last thing…
“Midori” is the Japanese word for green, and this sweet liqueur delivers melon flavor in full force. If you really want to toast the right way, raise your glass and say: Moshi Moshi! 🍸
Chernobyl in a cocktail glass. Watch out for the roentgens! Print
Chernobyl
Midori, vodka, pineapple, agave and lime
Ingredients
- 1–1/2 oz Russian Standard Vodka
- 1–1/2 oz Midori Liqueur
- 1/4 oz fresh lime juice
- 1/4 pineapple juice
- 1/4 oz Agave Nectar
- 1 stemmed bourbon cherry – garnish
Instructions
Up, In a Cocktail Glass
- Chill your cocktail glass in the freezer for 30 minutes
- Add all ingredients to a mixing glass with ice and stir slowly for 30 seconds to allow time to properly chill
- Strain, pour and garnish with a bourbon cherry
On The Rocks
- Combine ingredients, shake with ice
- Serve in a rocks glass over ice
- Garnish with a cherry
Nuclear Explosion
- Freeze a coupe glass, and chill the bottled Midori in the fridge
- Shake the remaining ingredients until ice cold and strain them back into the top of the shaker
- Pour the Midori into a shot glass, invert the coupe glass over the shot glass and hold them tightly together while turning the coupe glass upright
- Place a cherry in the coupe glass, pour the shaken ingredients into the coupe, then remove the shot glass releasing the Midori, creating the “explosion”