Recipe: matcha lemonade with Mello Mushroom Matcha
Matcha lemonade is the drink that converts people who think they do not like matcha. The grassy note that can read as bitter in a hot cup turns bright and green against lemon and fizz. This is the version with Mello Mushroom Matcha, which brings the six mushroom blend along without changing the method. Three minutes, about 48mg of caffeine a glass, and two mistakes to avoid.
Ingredients, one glass
One scoop of Mello Mushroom Matcha. 60ml of water at about 75 degrees, which is a boiled kettle left to sit for two minutes. Juice of half a lemon, about 25ml. Two teaspoons of simple syrup, honey or maple syrup, to taste. 150ml of chilled soda water or sparkling mineral water. A glass of ice. Optional: a sprig of mint, a slice of lemon.
Method
Sift the matcha into a small bowl or a wide mug; sifting matters more with mushroom matcha because the blend can hold small clumps. Add the 60ml of warm water and whisk in a W motion with a bamboo whisk, a small electric frother or, honestly, a fork, until the surface is smooth and lightly foamed with no dry specks. Stir in the syrup while the shot is warm so it dissolves. Fill a tall glass with ice. Pour in the lemon juice, then the matcha shot, then top slowly with soda water so it does not fizz over. Stir once. Add mint if you have it.
The two mistakes
Boiling water. Matcha scorched by boiling water goes flat and bitter, and no amount of lemon fixes it. Let the kettle sit. And undissolved powder. Matcha dropped straight into cold soda water clumps, floats and tastes chalky; the small warm shot is what makes it smooth. Everything else is forgiving.
Adjusting it
Sharper: the whole lemon. Sweeter: a third teaspoon of syrup, or a splash of apple juice instead of some of the soda. Less fizz: half soda, half cold water. Stronger: two scoops, about 96mg of caffeine. Lime works instead of lemon and reads a little more tropical. A few slices of cucumber in the glass turn it into something close to a spa drink.
The batch version
For a jug: four scoops of matcha whisked with 240ml of warm water, stirred with 8 teaspoons of syrup and the juice of two lemons. Keep the concentrate in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to two days. To serve, pour a quarter over ice and top with 150ml of soda. Whisk or shake the concentrate before pouring, because matcha settles. Do not add the soda to the jug ahead of time; it goes flat within the hour.
Nutrition note
A serve of the matcha blend with water is under 5 calories. Two teaspoons of syrup add about 30, and the lemon juice a couple more. The whole glass is around 35 calories with no dairy and no added sugar in the blend itself; all the sweetness is what you put in.
What is in the matcha
A ceremonial style matcha with the same six mushrooms as the Mello coffee, listed as one blend on the pack: Lion's Mane, Cordyceps, Reishi, Turkey Tail, Shiitake and King Trumpet. The caffeine comes from the tea. The mushrooms do not change the caffeine, the taste of the lemonade, or, as far as any study has measured, anything else; what each has been studied for is on our research pages. Our matcha comparison article explains where the blend fits against plain matcha.
When to drink it
Afternoon, mostly. At about 48mg of caffeine it is a gentler afternoon drink than an iced coffee, and caffeine's half life of five to six hours means a 3pm glass leaves about 12mg at 10pm. It is also the drink to make for people who have never tried matcha, because the lemon does the work of introducing it. The iced mushroom latte recipe is the coffee side of the same idea.
The caveat
Anyone with a mushroom allergy should avoid the matcha. Anyone with another food allergy should read the back of the pouch. Anyone pregnant, breastfeeding, on medication or managing a medical condition should check with a GP or pharmacist before adding a mushroom extract. Mello Mushroom Matcha is $49.99 for 30 serves, ships free Australia wide and carries a 30 day money back guarantee.