Iced matcha does not require a whisk, a bowl, or hot water at all. Cold brewing is the quietest way to make matcha, and for warm afternoons it is genuinely our preference. The cold water pulls less tannin from the leaf, which means the tea comes out sweeter and rounder than a hot preparation ever will.
Why cold water changes the taste
Bitterness in green tea comes largely from catechins and caffeine, and both extract more readily in hot water. Cold water leaves much of that behind while still drawing out the amino acids that create sweetness and body. The result is a matcha that tastes rounder, softer, and noticeably less sharp.
It also means you can be a little less precious about technique. Cold brewing is forgiving.
The shake method
This takes about a minute and needs only a jar with a tight lid.
Sift. Push one to two teaspoons of matcha through a fine mesh sieve into your jar. Even here, sifting matters. Cold water is less able to break up compacted powder than hot water is.
Add cold water. Roughly six to eight ounces of cold filtered water. Adding a small splash first and swirling it into a paste before the rest goes in will give you an even smoother result, though it is not strictly required.
Shake. Seal the jar and shake hard for about twenty seconds. You are looking for an even color with no streaks and a light foam on top.
Pour over ice. Add ice last rather than shaking with it, so the tea does not dilute while you work.
The slow steep method
If you plan ahead, this is the more elegant version and it produces the sweetest cup of the two.
Sift your matcha into a jar or a Kinto glass teapot, add cold water, stir or shake briefly to combine, and refrigerate for four to eight hours. Overnight is ideal. Stir once more before serving.
Glass is worth using here. Watching the color deepen over a few hours is half the pleasure.
Which matcha to use
We reach for our Daily Matcha for cold brew. It is single origin and first flush from the same family farm in Uji as our ceremonial, and it holds up beautifully over ice, especially once milk enters the picture.
If you are drinking it plain over ice with nothing added, our Ceremonial Matcha is worth the step up. Cold brewing is unusually good at showing off a first flush, because there is no heat to blunt the sweetness.
Three things worth knowing
Filtered water helps. Cold brew has nowhere to hide. Whatever your tap tastes like will come through.
Sweeten before the ice. Granulated sugar will not dissolve in cold tea. Use a simple syrup or honey and stir it in while the tea is still at room temperature.
Drink it the same day. Matcha is a suspension, not an infusion, and it will settle and dull after twenty four hours. A quick shake revives it, but freshly made is always better.
If you would rather someone else do the work, our bottled Matcha Latte comes ready in a 64 ounce container with your choice of milk and sweetener.
Come cool off with us at Tea Bar, 1055 Northwest Northrup.