How Matcha Became the Sleeper Hit of Cocktail Menus

Yes, Espresso Martinis are still among the most popular cocktails in the country, and the trend shows no signs of slowing down. But another caffeinated drink is vying for its moment in the cocktail spotlight. Over the last decade, vibrant green drinks made with matcha have popped up in seemingly every coffee shop. And recently, they are taking over cocktail menus. 

Matcha, a powdered specialty green tea, is known for its umami-rich, slightly bitter flavor and hints of subtle sweetness. While ceremonial-grade tea is used for special rituals in Japan, and other versions of the tea are whisked up for lattes, the vast flavor profile also makes it an incredibly versatile cocktail ingredient. 

Whether drinks lean into the tea’s sweetness or trend in a more savory direction, bartenders across the country are incorporating it into Martini riffs, Japanese-inspired takes on classic cocktails, and tall, refreshing summer drinks.

Matcha’s moment

For Japanese cocktail bars like Martiny’s in New York City, matcha has always been part of the equation. The first menu at the bar, which opened in 2022, featured owner and Tokyo native Takuma Watanabe’s signature take on an Old Fashioned called the Tea Ceremony.

The drink is made up of powdered matcha whisked together with coconut water, plus Japanese whisky and cacao for a drink that leans into matcha’s earthy and bitter flavors. Inspired by the sacred ritual of making matcha, the drink also has some sweetness that channels the flavor of wagashi, a small piece of candy that’s typically served alongside matcha in Japan.

Midnight Blue and L’Americana, Watanabe’s other NYC bars, also have matcha-infused cocktails on the menu. But it isn’t just Japanese bars that are harnessing this versatile ingredient. 

Washington, D.C.’s Service Bar offers two matcha-infused cocktails: a bright and refreshing highball with cachaça, vodka, and matcha called the Green Machine, and a nonalcoholic matcha yuzu slushie. Bar Leather Apron in Honolulu levels up the modern classic Penicillin with matcha for more depth of flavor. And several bars, including Komodo in Las Vegas, are opting to add a matcha Martini to their menus.

Large spirits brands and companies that make ready-to-drink products are also getting in on the trend. On the Rocks offers a Yuzu Matcha Martini with Japanese Haku vodka, available in bottles for easy at-home drinking. Social Hour Cocktails includes a canned Cucumber Matcha Mojito in its cocktail lineup.

Matcha’s popularity may come from its reputation as a more subtle and sustainable energy boost compared to coffee. Some also chalk the drink’s ubiquity up to its vibrant green color that’s undeniably photogenic. Whether on Instagram or at the bar, it’s hard to overlook what some bartenders have called the “sizzling fajita effect” — a head-turning item that prompts more orders.

A trend against all odds

At the same time that matcha is showing up on more cocktail menus, high demand is prompting a global shortage, making it more difficult and expensive to procure. The global matcha industry is expected to be valued at about $7.4 billion by 2030, nearly double the valuation in 2023.

Even before matcha surged in popularity around the world, the highly sought-after beverage was in short supply. 

Tencha leaves that are ground into matcha powder make up only about 6% of the tea harvested in Japan, so it’s inherently a scarce ingredient with a high price point. As the tea gets more popular in countries beyond Japan, popular brands like Ippudo, Kettl, and Marukyu Koyamaen have been selling out regularly and posting on their websites about the constrained supply.

Bartenders say they’ve noticed a slight price increase over the years. But the amount of matcha needed to craft syrups or infuse spirits is relatively limited, so they don’t anticipate the scarcity will affect the availability of cocktails that feature matcha any time soon.

“I try to avoid taking price into account until I absolutely have to, because we never want to compromise on quality for cost reasons,” says Dan Smith, general manager at Queen Mary, a Chicago bar with a Mojito-like cocktail on the menu called the Matcho Man. “Our matcha usage is quite small,” says Smith. “Even though the Matcho Man is above average for us when it comes to the cost of ingredients, it all evens out.”

Leaning into matcha’s versatility

Known for its combination of herbaceous, earthy notes and slight sweetness, matcha is a multifaceted ingredient to use behind the bar. McLain Hedges, co-owner and beverage director at Yacht Club in Denver, notes that matcha has a great tannin structure that helps it hold up against a variety of other drink components. 

If you lean into the matcha flavor, drinks can take inspiration from how it’s traditionally served in Japan. Or it can be used as a subtle part of a balanced cocktail, like Hedges did for the Nothing in Between cocktail at Yacht Club. The drink starts with a crisp, mineral-forward Chablis and adds matcha syrup, sotol, and shochu for a refreshing yet complex highball. However bartenders decide to employ this layered ingredient, matcha is a chameleon that plays off whatever it is paired with.

“There are a number of ways to let matcha be the star of the show and shine in all of its glory,” says Hedges. “But there’s also a way to use it as part of the building blocks of a drink.”