Matcha Inspired Cocktails: The Revamped Martini

To kick off the New Year, we have cocktail recipes inspired by the trending ingredient for 2014 and 2015 called Matcha. These two hip revamped Martini’s are brought to you by Aiya, one of the biggest producers and distributors of the versatile green powder, with the help of OneMartini, a popular blog. Matcha is a perfect ingredient to revamp your cold weather cocktails. These recipes are sure to be delicious for a cold winter’s night in.

Green Monk

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 ounces gin
• 3/4 ounce ginger honey syrup*
• 1/2 ounce fresh squeezed Meyer lemon juice
• 1/4 ounce Green Chartreuse
• 2-1/2 ounces brewed and cooled Aiya Matcha Green Tea
• Soda water
• 3 pieces of candied ginger on a skewer for garnish

Directions:

1. Add gin, ginger honey syrup, Meyer lemon juice and Green Chartreuse to a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice and shake.
2. Fill a highball glass with ice and pour in cooled Aiya Matcha Green Tea.
3. Strain the contents of the cocktail shaker into the highball glass.
4. Top with soda water.
5. Garnish with candied ginger on a skewer and enjoy!

*To make the ginger honey syrup:

Combine 1/2 cup honey, 1/3 cup water, 1/4 vanilla bean sliced open, 1 orange peel and 1 tablespoon grated ginger in a small saucepan. Heat on medium low heat, stirring to dissolve the honey. Let simmer 15 minutes, remove from heat, let cool and strain into a glass bottle. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

 

 

Divination

Serves 1

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 ounces London Dry Gin (I used Boodle’s)
• 1/2 ounce Matcha green tea infused dry vermouth**
• 1/4 ounce Salers
• 1 drop Bitter Truth Creole Bitters
• Lemon peel for garnish

Directions:

1)       Add all ingredients except for garnish to a mixing glass and fill with ice.

2)       Stir and double strain into a chilled Nick & Nora glass.

3)       Garnish with a lemon peel after expressing the oil over drink and rubbing around the rim of the glass.

**To make the Matcha green tea infused dry vermouth:

Pour 1/4 teaspoon sifted Aiya Cooking Grade Matcha Green Tea Powder into a shallow bowl or mason jar and add 1 teaspoon hot water. Using a bamboo matcha whisk (or a regular whisk if you don’t have the matcha one), blend the powder and hot water until it creates a smooth paste. Add 1/2 cup dry vermouth and whisk again until thoroughly combined. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.