Love At ‘Second’ Sight With Bright, Green Matcha Cocktails
My relationship with matcha is complicated. While I was never a great fan of tea, matcha promised something more and something special. So, when matcha became one of the newest trends across local cafes, my experimental self decided to give it a go. At one vibrant cafe, I ordered a matcha latte inspired by a fusion of Asian flavours and global brewing trends and was served a delicately fashioned hot brew of a bright, green tea with dainty latte art.
Taking my first sip of the matcha latte, I did manage to gulp down its robust umami flavour coupled with the creamy notes of coconut milk that were added to the blend but overall, my response to matcha was quite lukewarm. It was too umami and grassy for my taste buds which were attuned to the tarter and fruitier notes of tea time or rather, coffee time brews.
That episode was just the beginning of my repeated encounters with matcha. A few weeks later, I once again found myself at a cafe with one of my closest friends and we spotted a really chirpy woman on the table opposite, ordering a matcha latte. She welcomed this drink with such gusto that I was compelled to tell my friend about my underwhelming experience.
In her most infinite brew wisdom, she advised, “Why don’t you have matcha green tea, like it is traditionally served? That way you can actually taste the “tea” in the green tea!’ So, after the initial speed bump in our relationship, I brought matcha back into my life, this time as a green tea served by itself with just a dash of honey.
This time, I simply became an absolute fan.
But our story was far from over. Because soon enough, heading to the newest watering hole in my city, I encountered matcha again, this time on the cocktail menu.
Matcha On My Mind
Matcha was by this time the latest and most fascinating ingredient for mixologists who were experimenting with the effects of its umami flavours and bright green hue on cocktail blends. And rather interestingly, the earthy, slightly vegetal and bitter taste of matcha ended up becoming an excellent addition to cocktails because of its complimentary flavour profile.
Now a total fan of matcha, I too decided to try out a cocktail complete with this mixology twist and ordered a matcha gin fizz. This drink can be prepared using 30 ml Tanqueray No. 10 Gin or any other premium gin of choice, a dash of lemon juice and honey syrup and about 60 ml sparkling water. The resulting drink is a frothy, herbaceous and deeply umami mix with a hint of citrus. These were deep flavour notes that resonated with the bright green colour and fizzy texture of the cocktail, which became an instant favourite.
Other cocktail blends infused with matcha were to follow a similar trajectory. The next time I met matcha on the bar menu, I opted for a matcha infused mezcal sour, whose smoky and grassy tastes were a deep and rather intriguing flavour combination. One other cocktail caught my eye was a simple matcha highball prepared using 30 ml Japanese whisky and a dash of matcha syrup, topped off with 60 ml soda water. In both cases, I was an instant fan of the clear flavours of matcha coupled with the smoky, spicy and fruity effect of the spirits added to these drinks.
Eventually, I became bold enough to introduce this matcha effect into a martini cocktail as well. This drink can be blended using 30 ml Ciroc Ultra Premium Vodka or any other premium vodka of choice, a splash of vanilla syrup and a tablespoon of matcha. The drink can be stirred with the addition of ice and garnished with a stray olive.
One of the reasons matcha seemed to work so well in these cocktails was because although it was a flavour infusion, it blended so elegantly into the drinks without making its tasting notes too overpowering. It remained a subtle backbone, tying into the other ingredients of these cocktails.
What matcha delivered perfectly however, was its brilliant green hue which lent cocktails infused with this green tea a most visually stunning appearance. Now, whenever I opt for matcha cocktails, these five remain my enduring favourites, after my second meet cute with matcha.
Also Read: Pairing Green Tea Desserts With Mocktails And Cocktails, Tips Inside
Drink Responsibly. This communication is for audiences above the age of 25.
