Matcha cocktails trending big-time in bars despite caffeine and alcohol mix

Before matcha’s recent rise in popularity on social media, bartenders rarely considered adding green tea to the mixed drinks they made.

Rensel Cabrera, bar manager at The Sylvester in Miami, said the idea started as an experiment in trend rather than a passion project.

“As we were doing these menu transitions, we started looking at trends, the style of cocktails, the ingredients, and one of the biggest trends, besides the espresso martini, was matcha,” Cabrera told Fox News Digital.

IS TEQUILA GOOD FOR YOU? EXPERT EXPLAINS WHY IT’S A ‘REASONABLE CHOICE’ FOR DRINKS

His bar doesn’t serve coffee or tea, but he thought the bright color of the powder could really create a cocktail explosion.

“We don’t serve tea, lattes or coffee because we’re a cocktail bar, but we still thought this would be a great ingredient to use,” he said.

A year later, the matcha-flavored honeydew vodka cocktail “Dama Verde” became one of her best sellers.

“They drink a lot at night,” he said of some of his clients, “and if they’re going to have something to drink, at least [let’s] Get a little healthy.”

But others note the paradox between caffeine, alcohol and healthy living.

AS ‘TERRIBLE’ TREND EMERGES, Gen Z DRINKERS LEAVE BARTENDERS DISAPPOINTED WITH SLAMMING TIPS

South Carolina dietitian-nutritionist Lauren Manaker told Fox News Digital that matcha’s health benefits tend to diminish when mixed with liquor.

“While matcha itself has many benefits, mixing it with alcohol changes the story,” he said.

‘Not very healthy’

In New York City’s East Village, Bananas founder Chris Ng and general manager Dania Kim say their boozy “Matcha Latte” has become a local hit.

Kim said he wasn’t after a fad when creating it.

Dania Kim, shown in the background right, developed the “Matcha Latte” cocktail for Bananas of New York City. (Banana NYC)

“It wasn’t [about] “I follow all kinds of trends,” he told Fox News Digital. “It was more [about] “In the summer, I prepare meals based on the weather and specific flavors that I really enjoy.”

He grew up drinking matcha, but said he “didn’t know how trendy matcha actually was.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

He then realized that it was mostly the Gen Z crowd who were “going crazy” for booze.

Kim said he knows his health halo can only go so far.

“Matcha Latte” is a popular drink of Generation Z. (Banana NYC)

“All in all, although this version is not very healthy because it is alcoholic, it is a health factor,” he said.

Still, Gen Z guests seem intrigued by the idea of ​​a better-for-you conversation.

CLICK FOR MORE LIFE STORIES

“They don’t actually drink that much,” he said. “They care more about their health and nutritional habits. If something is good for you, I think they will ignore any pain or worldliness.”

Ng told Fox News Digital that much of matcha’s appeal is visual.

The “Matcha Latte” in Bananas is a visually appealing dessert cocktail. (Banana NYC)

“When people go out to eat, they eat with their eyes first,” he said. “When they see ‘Matcha Latte’ on a menu, their first thought probably reminds them of getting a hot beverage and something to go with green tea.”

Too much caffeine?

Cabrera’s Miami version, laced with matcha powder and citric acid, is still a bestseller, but caffeine-sensitive customers are sometimes hesitant to order it, he said.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“Maybe if someone doesn’t want the energy, the natural caffeine in matcha – maybe, [later at] At night, someone is looking for something that isn’t so caffeinated.”

Although it’s not marketed toward women, the cocktail appears to be more popular among that demographic, Cabrera said.

“It’s like double matcha,” he said. “Matcha is in the drink and out of the drink.”

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION

That balance is clear even to health-conscious people who don’t drink too much, Manaker said.

“Matcha cocktails may seem like the middle ground,” he said. “They’re not popping bottles. And of course, they’re getting some antioxidants in their drinks. But they’re also getting alcohol, which isn’t very good for our livers or brains.”