This post and recipe is By Diana Weil, Matcha.com's Integrative Nutritionist and Food Relationship Specialist.
Is there a more perfect combination of refreshing flavors than mint, rum, and lime? Only if we’re adding in matcha green tea! Mint, lime, and matcha are all strong flavors, but they complement each other quite nicely.
Classic mojitos are a delicious and refreshing cocktail or mocktail- add some matcha and watch that delightful green really come to life.
Enter matcha cocktail: The Matcharito
Your taste buds will be thanking you with each sip of this naturally sweetened mojito recipe. A matcha mojito is truly a perfect balance between tart, sweet, and earthy. Made with fresh and all-natural ingredients, it’s a far cry from the pre-made mojitos you might buy at a store.
Mojitos hail from Cuba and naturally use ingredients indigenous to that area- rum, lime, mint, and sugar. We’re taking a fun spin on this classic cocktail by adding matcha. It’s truly an excellent addition and adds the slightest umami flavor.
INGREDIENTS FOR MATCHA GREEN TEA MOJITO:
This recipe makes one cocktail —but trust us — you will want to size up and make an entire pitcher! Feel free to double, triple, or quadruple this recipe depending on how big your pitcher may be!
Ingredients for matcha simple syrup:
Ingredients for your matcha mojito:
7 Simple Steps to Making A Matcha Mojito:
- First, make your matcha simple syrup. Add water and sugar to a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Heat until the sugar has completely dissolved, then quickly turn the stove off. Mix in matcha and stir until combined. Place to the side.
- Cut your lime into four smaller pieces. (This is also called quartering your lime) Also rip or cut off around 10 mint leaves.
- Add your mint leaves and one of your 4 lime wedges into a sturdy glass or cocktail shaker. Then use a muddler to crush and release mint oils and lime juice. If you don’t own a muddler, you can use the back of a large spoon.
- After muddling, toss in your remaining lime wedges and simple syrup and muddle again.
- If opting for a cocktail, add in your rum and stir. Skip this step if making a non-alcoholic mojito.
- Add ice almost to the top of a glass. Strain the mixture into a tall serving glass. Top with club soda and give it a few stirs. Garnish with mint and remaining lime wedge.
- Ching, ching, and Enjoy!
What else should you consider when choosing the ingredients you will need for your matcha green tea mojito?
- Rum- You always want to choose a high-quality white rum for mojitos. Avoid spiced rums because they overcomplicate the freshness from the mint and lime. Leave this out if you are opting to make a non-alcoholic matcha green tea mojito.
- Lime- Fresh squeezed is always best. Especially since we are using a muddler to get the full flavor profile with this cocktail.
- Matcha: Not all matcha powders are created equally, and taste can vary greatly. It’s essential to use high-quality matcha to reap all the incredible health benefits and get the best flavor. Matcha can burn quite quickly (which can mean a loss of some of its healthful, nutritious compounds!), so make sure your simple syrup has cooled down a bit before adding it in. Always sift your matcha to prevent clumps.
- Mint- Authentic mojitos use mojito mint (yes, that’s really what it’s called!), but that can be hard to find. Spearmint mint can be used well for mojitos and is pretty standard in most US supermarkets and easy to find.
- Sugar: We like to use pure cane sugar, but you could swap brown sugar for a slightly different variation/taste.
- Club Soda: Lightens up the drink and tops it all off! Pellegrino water also works well.
The health benefits in your all-natural matcha mojito | matcha & mint
Not only does matcha taste delicious and add an incredible vibrancy to this cocktail – it also boasts a long list of supportive health properties.
Matcha contains many antioxidants, which help defend your body against damage from free radicals. It also has high amounts of an amino acid called L-theanine, which can combat anxiety/stress and help reduce insomnia. In addition, matcha also contains necessary vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.
Mint, which is also a staple ingredient in mojitos, comes with its own list of impressive supportive health benefits. Mint is rich in a variety of nutrients. In fact, studies have shown mint:
- May help improve symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- May help boost brain function
- May help mask bad breath
The bottom line: Try making a matcha green tea mojito cocktail or boneless cocktail
If you're looking for the perfect matcha cocktail, you've found it!
While this cocktail requires using a bit of muscle to muddle the mint and lime, your effort will be rewarding when you’re sitting and enjoying a refreshing, mildly sweet cocktail. There’s a reason the mojito is still one of the most popular drinks to this day. It has staying power!
As always, play around and feel free to adjust to your personal preferences. Most importantly, sit down, relax and enjoy this delightfully refreshing cocktail!
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References:
Kochman, J., Jakubczyk, K., Antoniewicz, J., Mruk, H., & Janda, K. (2020). Health Benefits and Chemical Composition of Matcha Green Tea: A Review. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(1), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010085
Tafrihi, M., Imran, M., Tufail, T., Gondal, T. A., Caruso, G., Sharma, S., Sharma, R., Atanassova, M., Atanassov, L., Valere Tsouh Fokou, P., & Pezzani, R. (2021). The Wonderful Activities of the Genus Mentha: Not Only Antioxidant Properties. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(4), 1118. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26041118