My latest obsession for an afternoon pick me up is anything matcha. I like matcha because it not only provides a jolt of energy, but green tea also includes Theanine, which is a naturally occurring amino acid which provides a scientifically proven stress-reducing effect, which is essential for my day job where I’m essentially fighting fires across teams all day. Give me shout out on social if you can relate and make this recipe.
Although this is unproven, someone once said to me that carbonation helps with staying alert too. I wanted to add some bubbles to this afternoon drink as well. So as I tinkered with ideas, I was trying to figure out what would pair well with the earthy matcha flavors, and you would never guess what I found.
When I lived in San Francisco, there was a bubble tea chain next to my apartment called Boba Guys. Having grown up drinking boba, it was nostalgic to occasional drop by for a sweet, chewy treat. Every time I visited, I saw people drinking a tri-color boba drink consisting of strawberry, milk, and matcha. I always wanted to try it, but never did, fearing that it would be too sweet for me and that the milk would give me an upset stomach.
But with that memory lingering in my mind, I thought to myself, why not try making a fruity matcha drink minus the milk. I had recently purchased some grape flavored konnyaku, and decided to mix it into my iced matcha one day. It was delicious!
Then I thought, how do I make this more of an adult treat that isn’t too sweet? So I decided to try it with my favorite non-alcoholic gin, A Cut Above Zero Alcohol Gin, and it turned into a very effective, refreshing sipper without the guilt.
You can try this with any fruit favor you’d like, though I’d stay away from citrus as it doesn’t really match in my opinion, but you do you!
What You'll Need
Ingredients
- 1 tsp matcha powder
- 2 oz Cut Above Gin
- 6-8 oz of sparkling water, pampelmousse flavor
- 1-2 tsp jam, flavored honey, or fruity sweetener with a non-citrus flavor
- Ice
Equipment
- A 32 oz sized mason jar or other large, tall glass
- A frother or mini electric whisk
Matcha recommendations
Here are our top Matcha recommendations for this recipe. These have been selected based on the matcha flavor, how easily they mix, and because they have few additives.
- Ito En Matcha Green Tea Powder: This is the one I use at home. Ito En is also known for their ready to drink teas and is super popular in Japan. It’s a brand I grew up drinking and is widely available.
- FGO Organic Matcha Green Tea Powder: This is a best seller on amazon, is organic, and has great taste! It’s not ceremonial grade but you don’t need that for everyday drinking.
- Eco Taste Mushroom Matcha Latte Powder: If you’re looking for adaptogens with a side of matcha, this is a great option. It doesn’t have a super strong matcha or mushroom flavor. It just tastes kind of earthy with a hint of matcha. This likely won’t turn out the way the recipe is intended, but if getting adaptogens is important to you, this is a better option available on Amazon.
- Pow Wonder Mushroom Matcha Latte: This is another great alternative if you are looking for adaptogens in your matcha drink. This one tastes more like coconut, so you can make it a bit more of a tropical drink by pairing it with a coconut flavored fruit jam or syrup.
Electric Whisk/Frother Recommendations
We made the mistake of getting one without a stand the first, time, and it makes it difficult to store. So the ones below include a stand, which give you a place to put it after you've just used it to mix. Some of these are multi-speed, but you can't go wrong with any of the options below.
- Zulay Powerful Milk Frother ($11.99)
- Jade Leaf Matcha Electric Matcha Whisk ($14.95)
- Zulay Executive Series Ultra Premium Milk Frother ($24.99)
How to make it
- Add the matcha powder to the bottom of the quart sized mason jar or large glass. For a stronger matcha flavor, you can increase the amount of matcha as desired.
- Then add the nonalcoholic gin and blend using the frother until well dissolved.
- Add the jam, flavored honey or sweetener of your choice. We love grape or strawberry flavor and blend using the frother again until well dissolved.
- Then add ice until the glass is very full.
- Top with sparkling water until the glass is full and stir to combine.
- Then sip and enjoy!
