Lavender honey matcha lemonade
Hello, and happy spring my friends!
On Monday it was the first day of spring, and we finally hit 50 degrees here in Minnesota. It was magical! I spent most of the day working but still got to enjoy the warmth and sunshine a little bit. :) But this warmer weather, makes me want some light, summer drinks and I had exactly that over the past weekend.
I was in Decorah, Iowa, with family and we stopped by Impact Coffee. I am not an afternoon coffee person, so I asked the barista if they had anything like an Arnold Palmer (half tea/half lemonade). She said they didn’t, but they had a lavender matcha lemonade that I should try— so I did! And let me tell you, I’m so glad I did! It was delicious. Matcha can be hit or miss for me, but I am trying to like it more and this drink was the absolutely perfect gateway. So, I decided to try and remake it!
First off, matcha is a specific form of green leaves that is ground and can be served hot, cold, or used to flavor cakes, mochi, or ice cream. I bought Naturealm’s Lion’s mane matcha latte powder off Amazon, and I really like it. It does have coconut creamer, honey crystals, and coconut milk in the powder, so I’m curious how this drink would taste with just plain matcha powder.
The drink is very simple and easy to make. The hardest part is making the simple syrup, but it is effortless. Simple syrup is simply, equal parts water to equal parts honey or sugar.
Combine in a saucepan on low heat until just dissolved:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 drops lavender essential oil
That’s it. Very simple. You do not need to boil this, just warm it through until all the honey or sugar is dissolved. Taste for flavor and add more if you like.
Next, make the matcha concentrate by combining:
1 tablespoon matcha powder
2 tablespoons warm water
Place in a cup and whisk until combined. The warm water helps to dissolve the matcha and is essential.
Now the fun part—putting it all together! In a shaker or large glass combine:
1 to 2 ounces of simple syrup (for your desired sweetness)
juice of 1 lemon
matcha concentrate
1 cup cold water
Shake all together and pour over a glass filled with ice. Garnish with a lemon slice.
You can add more matcha or simple syrup to your desired preference, but I found that these amounts were perfect for me. Additionally, I would not make this drink ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. The matcha tends to separate, and I think it would be best fresh, but experiment with your needs and let me know!
Cheers,
