Beyond the iced latte: 5 creative matcha drinks to try when you want to switch up your usual order

From matcha lemonade to creamy blends, here are matcha drinks you can try beyond the usual Iced latte.

Matcha has moved from a niche preference to a much-desired fixture on café menus across the country. Yet walk into most establishments and the offering is largely identical: matcha, milk, ice, perhaps a drizzle of honey. If you are someone who loves to experiment with your drinks, here are a few matcha recipes shared by Angad Chachra, founder of The Bar Consultants, that you can try.

1. Citrus-shaken matcha

This is a shaken, milk-free matcha built with citrus juice instead of dairy, closer to a sour than a latte, pale green and lightly frothy on top. Acidity cuts bitterness at the source rather than masking it, leaving the drink bright and clean.

Method:

● Whisk 2g matcha into 30ml warm water until smooth.

● Add 20ml lime or yuzu juice and 15ml light agave syrup.

● Shake hard with ice, strain into a glass over fresh ice.

Restaurant tip: Swap yuzu for regional citrus - kaffir lime, sweet lime- depending on what's locally available.

This is a shaken, milk-free matcha built with citrus juice instead of dairy, closer to a sour than a latte, pale green and lightly frothy on top. (Pexel)

2. Jaggery matcha

A warm-spiced, amber-tinted matcha where unrefined jaggery replaces white sugar, giving the cup a caramel-laced undertone. The molasses note sits alongside the tea's grassiness rather than covering it, adding depth instead of just sweetness.

Method:

● Whisk 2g matcha into 30ml hot water (not boiling) until frothy.

● Stir in 15 - 20ml home made jaggery syrup.

● Serve hot as-is, or over ice topped with milk of choice.

Restaurant tip: A strong "Indian pantry meets Japanese tea" story for menus leaning into local-ingredient narratives.

3. Sparkling matcha

It's a spin on matcha lengthened with sparkling water, pale and effervescent, built more like a highball than a latte. The carbonation lifts the aroma and keeps the drink light rather than dense.

Method:

● Whisk 2g matcha into 30ml water until smooth.

● Add 10 - 15ml light maple syrup, poured over ice.

● Top with sparkling water, stir once gently to keep the fizz (reverse).

Restaurant tip: An easy, low-cost, high-margin addition includes just matcha, a touch of syrup, and soda water on tap.

It's a spin on matcha lengthened with sparkling water, pale and effervescent, built more like a highball than a latte. (Pexel)

4. Coconut vanilla matcha

It's a creamy, dairy-free matcha where the choice of plant milk, not the matcha grade, sets the flavour. Fat content changes the drink more than the grade of matcha does; coconut adds tropical richness, and cashews have a rounder body.

Method:

● Whisk 2g matcha into 30ml warm water until smooth.

● Shake in 60ml coconut water and 10ml home made date syrup.

● Pour whisked matcha over ice and top with a foamed vanilla milk cloud.

Restaurant tip: This is your vegan-menu matcha, and a natural pairing if you already stock plant milks for coffee.

5. Mango matcha cloud

This is a jasmine-based concoction with whisked matcha floated on top rather than mixed through, so the tea reads as aroma and a light bitterness on the first sip. Mango carries the sweetness, lime keeps it from turning heavy.

Method:

● Shake 20ml fresh homemade mango puree with 60ml chilled jasmine green tea and 5ml lime juice.

● Strain over ice.

● Whisk 2g matcha to a foam and spoon it over the top as a cloud.

Restaurant tip: The puree batches easily from whatever mango is in season, and the same matcha foam sits well over other iced teas, so one prep serves more than one drink on the menu.