Ceremonial Grade Matcha Syrup

Store in a sealed glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Matcha oxidizes faster than other syrups — the vivid green color will shift to olive-green over time, which does not significantly affect flavor but indicates oxidation. Keep refrigerated.

Always sift matcha through a fine strainer before dissolving — unsifted matcha forms clumps that are extremely difficult to dissolve smoothly in liquid. Use water at 70 to 80°C rather than boiling; boiling water makes matcha bitter and destroys some of the delicate flavor compounds. Ceremonial grade produces a sweeter, more complex syrup with less astringency; culinary grade is less expensive and produces a fine syrup for cocktail use. Whisk the matcha into a small amount of warm water first using a bamboo chasen (tea whisk) or small wire whisk to form a smooth paste before adding the remaining liquid — this technique, called koicha preparation, produces a lump-free result impossible to achieve by adding matcha directly to the full volume of water.

Matcha (抹茶, meaning "ground tea") is a finely milled powder made from shade-grown green tea (tencha) and was introduced to Japan from China by Zen Buddhist monk Eisai around 1191, who brought tea seeds and the practice of powdered tea preparation from the Song Dynasty court. The Japanese tea ceremony (chanoyu, "the way of tea") developed around matcha in the 15th and 16th centuries under the aesthetic philosophy of Sen no Rikyū, making matcha inseparable from Japanese cultural identity. The distinction between ceremonial grade (from the first spring harvest, used in tea ceremony) and culinary grade (from later harvests, used in cooking and baking) reflects a centuries-old Japanese classification system. Matcha entered Western culinary culture in the early 2000s through Japanese pastry and café culture, and its combination of umami, sweetness, and grassiness made it one of the most distinctive cocktail ingredients of the decade.

A matcha-yuzu syrup can be made by adding one tablespoon of yuzu juice to the finished cooled matcha syrup — the tart Japanese citrus amplifies the umami character of the matcha and creates an exceptional modifier for gin and sake cocktails. A matcha-coconut syrup, made by substituting coconut water for half the water in the base, produces a tropical, sweet, and slightly nutty variation used in tiki-inspired drinks. For a spiced matcha syrup suited to warming winter cocktails, whisk a small amount of ground ginger and a pinch of white pepper into the finished syrup.

No common top-eight allergens. Naturally vegan and gluten-free. Contains caffeine (matcha contains approximately 70mg of caffeine per teaspoon). Matcha allergies are rare.