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Be a Matcha Matcha Man and Whip Up These 4 Matcha Cocktails

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Walk into any hipster coffee shop in the nation now and you’re going to see matcha. It’s the stuff that looks like green cocaine, but isn’t (well, literally, at least). Matcha is, in fact, ground-up green tea. Before harvesting, these green tea leaves are shade-grown, which produces more caffeine and another compound, theanine, which are both why matcha is praised for its energy-giving abilities. When they’re finally on their way to process, the stems and veins are also removed.

More Cocktail Recipes

As with the best ingredients, matcha is versatile — it’s  great for cocktails. I mean, who doesn’t want a healthy caffeine boost when they’re drinking? Below, we’ve gathered some great matcha cocktails to tempt your palates. (As an added bonus, all four cocktails contain one of our favorite liqueurs: St-Germain.)

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Don’t usually carry matcha in the house? Pick some up here.

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Green in the Afternoon

matcha cocktails green in the afternoon
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • 0.5 oz St-Germain elderflower liqueur
  • 0.25 oz limoncello
  • 2 dashes of absinthe
  • Pinch of matcha power
  • Sparkling wine

Method: Add to ingredients to a flute glass, top up with sparkling wine, and stir gently.

Green Blossom

matcha cocktails green blossom
Brent Hofacker/123RF Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • 0.75 oz tequila
  • 0.75 oz St-Germain
  • 0.5 oz matcha power mixed with water (1 to 1)
  • 0.5 oz cloudy apple juice
  • 0.25 oz lemon juice

Method: Shake ingredients with ice and pour into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a green apple slice. 

Matcha Flip

matcha cocktails matcha flip
Image used with permission by copyright holder
  • 2 oz sake
  • 1 oz St-Germain
  • 0.5 oz coconut & matcha powder syrup
  • 1 whole egg

Method: Add all the ingredients into a shaker and dry shake with no ice to emulsify the egg then add ice shake vigorously and strain into a glass. Add a pinch of matcha powder as a garnish.

(Green in the Afternoon, Green Blossom, and Matcha Flip all created by St-Germain Global Ambassador, Camille Ralph Vidal)

Goodnight Julep

matcha cocktails goodnight julep
Food Photographer/Getty Images Image used with permission by copyright holder

(Created by Nitecap, New York City)

Method: Take your julep tin and rub the mint leaves around the glass. Discard mint. Add all ingredients and swizzle with crushed ice. Top with more crushed ice and garnish with a lavish mint bouquet, matcha powder, and powdered sugar.

Editor’s Note: This article is part of The Manual’s larger Journey to Japan travel guide. Over the course of a month, our writers had the pleasure of experiencing Japan in its many forms, from high-rise bars in Tokyo to traditional tea-ceremonies in Kyoto. We hope this series of articles will not only inform, but inspire you to take your own trip to the Land of the Rising Sun.

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Sam Slaughter
Sam Slaughter
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…
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