Foreplay on the Neutral Ground

A New Orleans party-pitcher of vodka, melon liqueur, apple juice and cranberry juice over ice. Eight ounces of vodka, four of Midori, twelve each of apple and cranberry juice, served from a decanter into glasses. Drinks bright-fruit and easy, sized for several drinkers.

Foreplay on the Neutral Ground

4.37 from 19 votes

Calories: 1152kcal

Prep Time: 3

Total Time: 5

Instructions

▢
Fill glasses with ice. Mix absolut. midori. Juice - PineJuice - Apple Juice and cranberry juice in a decanter. Pour over ice and serve. Makes several.

Estimated Nutrition:

Calories: 1152kcal (58%)Carbohydrates: 118g (39%)Sugar: 112g (124%)

Punch

Where it came from

The Foreplay on the Neutral Ground is a New Orleans party-pitcher named for the local term for the median strip on Canal Street and other major avenues, where carnival parades and casual street drinking happen. The build is a vodka-and-melon-liqueur stretched over apple juice and cranberry juice, served from a decanter at parade-watching gatherings.

It sits in the long-fruit-pitcher family with the Hurricane, the Hand Grenade and the Pat O'Brien punch. All four lean on vodka or rum plus a fruit juice base for the volume and the bright colour. The Foreplay separates itself with the Midori-and-cranberry pairing, which delivers a deeper bittersweet character than the typical orange-and-pineapple pitcher builds.

Best served from a decanter at a Mardi Gras parade-watching gathering or a French Quarter house party, not at a craft cocktail bar. The format is volume-first and ceremony-second; the recipe scales cleanly for a group of six to eight.

What it tastes like

Sweet apple up front, soft melon and vodka through the middle, sharp cranberry-and-citrus on the finish. The combination is brighter than expected for a vodka pitcher; the cranberry cuts through the apple-and-melon sweetness and gives the drink a tart finish.

Around 12 percent ABV in the pitcher. Eight ounces of vodka at 40 percent and four ounces of Midori at 20 percent, stretched over twenty-four ounces of fruit juice, gives a moderate-strength long pour. Each glass holds about six ounces of the mixed drink, roughly one standard drink per pour.

The technique

Fill a decanter or pitcher with ice. Add eight ounces of vodka, four ounces of Midori, twelve ounces of apple juice and twelve ounces of cranberry juice. Stir gently with a long bar spoon. Pour over ice into individual glasses. Garnish with apple slices or lime wheels.

The decanter is the format. A clear glass decanter shows off the bright pink-green colour of the mix; a pitcher works as a substitute. Stir gently with a long bar spoon to combine without losing the texture; do not shake. Serve within thirty minutes; the apple juice oxidises and the cranberry dulls if held longer.

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Ingredient Spotlight

The bottles that make or break this drink.

The vodka

Use: Absolut, Tito's, or any neutral vodka at 40 percent ABV.
Skip: Flavoured vodka. The infused-spirit profile fights the Midori.
Why: Vodka is the load-bearing alcohol and the neutral base. The clean spirit lets the melon and the fruit juice carry the flavour; flavoured vodkas push the profile in a different direction and the balance breaks.

The Midori

Use: Midori melon liqueur at 20 percent ABV, the green Japanese standard.
Skip: Watermelon schnapps. Wrong colour and flavour profile.
Why: Midori is the colour and the middle-note sweetness. The honeydew-melon character gives the pitcher its signature bright green tint; without Midori the drink reads pink-and-fruit-juice and loses the melon-and-cranberry contrast.

The juice base

Use: Cold apple juice and cranberry juice in equal parts, twelve ounces each.
Skip: Cranberry-cocktail blends with added sugar. Throws the sweetness curve off.
Why: The apple-and-cranberry pairing delivers the volume and the bittersweet finish. The natural tartness of the cranberry cuts through the sweet apple and the melon, holding the pitcher in balance across multiple servings.

Three Variations

Three real ways bartenders riff on this drink. Same idea, three different jackets.

The standard build

Foreplay, by the decanter: Eight ounces vodka, four ounces Midori, twelve ounces apple juice, twelve ounces cranberry juice in a decanter with ice. Stir, pour into glasses.

The single-serve build

Foreplay, by the glass: Two ounces vodka, one ounce Midori, three ounces apple juice, three ounces cranberry juice in a highball glass with ice. Single drink, same flavour balance.

The fizzy build

Foreplay with soda: Add a splash of soda water to each glass at service. Pulls the pitcher toward a long highball; lighter, longer pour.

What if I don't have…

Quick substitutions for when the bottle shop is closed.

No Midori?

Bols Melon or De Kuyper Melon. Both work, both are slightly sweeter.

No cranberry juice?

Pomegranate juice. Different berry profile, holds the tart finish.

No apple juice?

White grape juice. Different sweetness curve, holds the volume and the pale colour.

No decanter?

A clear glass pitcher works as a substitute. The visual is part of the drink, so glass is preferable to plastic.

Frequently Asked Questions

Direct answers to what people search for after Googling this drink.

What is in a Foreplay on the Neutral Ground?

Eight ounces of vodka, four ounces of Midori melon liqueur, twelve ounces of apple juice, twelve ounces of cranberry juice and ice, served from a decanter into individual glasses.

Why is it called Foreplay on the Neutral Ground?

Named for the New Orleans term for the median strip on Canal Street and other major avenues, where carnival parades and casual street drinking happen. The Foreplay name riffs on the bachelorette-party-novelty style of New Orleans late-night cocktails.

How strong is a Foreplay on the Neutral Ground?

Around 12 percent ABV in the pitcher. Each glass pour of about six ounces holds roughly one standard drink.

What does it taste like?

Sweet apple up front, soft melon and vodka through the middle, sharp cranberry-and-citrus on the finish. Reads as a bittersweet long fruit pitcher rather than a sweet party punch.

How many drinks does the recipe make?

About six servings of six ounces each from one decanter, depending on the ice melt and pour size. The recipe scales cleanly to double or triple for larger groups.

Can I batch it ahead of time?

Yes, but not too far ahead. Mix the vodka and Midori in advance and refrigerate; add the apple and cranberry juice no more than thirty minutes before serving. The fresh juice keeps the pitcher bright.

What other long pitchers are similar?

A Hurricane, a Hand Grenade, a Pat O'Brien punch and a Tropical Itch. All four lean on a fruit juice base and a spirit-and-liqueur combination for the long-pour party-pitcher format.

Where does the Neutral Ground come from?

Neutral Ground is the local New Orleans term for the median strip on Canal Street and other broad avenues, dating to the 1800s when Canal Street separated the French Creole and the American sectors of the city. The strip was neutral territory between the two communities.

From the Drink Lab catalogue

Drink Lab has been collecting cocktail recipes since 2013. Some we wrote ourselves, plenty came in from readers, and the rest got passed across a bar somewhere along the way.

Last updated May 8, 2026 · 1 min read