Six ways to put the tier ladder on your menu — each one paired to the grade built for it, with ratios you can hand straight to your bar.
Iced Matcha Latte
The one every café needs to get right — vibrant color through milk, no bitterness when it's made fast during a rush.
Ingredients (per drink)
- 2.5 g matcha
- 2 oz hot water (175°F, just off the boil)
- 6–8 oz milk of choice
- Sweetener to taste, ice
Method
- Whisk matcha into hot water until smooth and no clumps remain.
- Pour over ice, add milk and sweetener, stir or shake.
Traditional Usucha
The purest way to serve matcha, and the one preparation where the quality of the leaf does all the talking. Reserve this for your top-shelf menu or omakase-style service.
Ingredients (per bowl)
- 2 g matcha (about 1 heaping chashaku scoop)
- 2.5 oz water, 160–175°F
Method
- Sift matcha into the bowl to break up clumps before adding water.
- Add water, whisk briskly in a "W" motion until a fine foam forms on top.
Matcha Affogato
Hot, concentrated matcha poured straight over cold vanilla ice cream — minimal prep, high perceived value, an easy add to any dessert case.
Ingredients (per serving)
- 2 g matcha
- 1.5 oz hot water
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream or gelato
Method
- Whisk matcha into hot water at double strength.
- Pour over a scoop of ice cream tableside, serve immediately.
Matcha Shortbread
A simple cookie that showcases matcha's color without the cost of a ceremonial tier — heat-stable flavor built for baking, not just whisking.
Ingredients (makes ~24)
- 8 g matcha
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 2/3 cup sugar, pinch of salt
Method
- Sift matcha with flour and salt to distribute evenly.
- Cream butter and sugar, fold in dry ingredients until a dough forms.
- Chill, slice, and bake at 325°F for 14–16 minutes.
Matcha Boba Base
A batched base you can make ahead and pour to order all day — holds its color and whisks fast enough for a busy bar.
Ingredients (1 gal batch)
- 60 g matcha
- 48 oz hot water (175°F)
- Simple syrup to taste
- Milk and cooked tapioca pearls, per cup
Method
- Whisk or blend matcha into hot water until fully dissolved, no clumps.
- Stir in simple syrup, cool, and refrigerate in a sealed container.
- Build each cup over ice with pearls, milk, and base to order.
Matcha Lemonade Sparkler
Layered matcha over lemonade and soda water — the kind of drink that sells itself on a menu board photo and gives your seasonal lineup something to talk about.
Ingredients (per drink)
- 2.5 g matcha
- 1.5 oz hot water
- 4 oz lemonade
- Soda water, ice
Method
- Whisk matcha into hot water until smooth.
- Fill a glass with ice, add lemonade, top with soda water.
- Slowly pour the matcha over the back of a spoon to layer on top.
Full prep guides, by tier
Dosing charts, troubleshooting, and wholesale menu development — for standing accounts and growing cafés alike.
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