Dirty matcha

Name: Dirty matcha
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1 tall glass (about 300 ml)
Cuisine: Japanese
Ingredients: 2 teaspoons (about 4 g) culinary grade matcha; 60 ml warm water, about 60 to 80°C; 180 ml cold milk, standard dairy or barista oat milk (hot frothed milk for the hot build); 1 single or double shot of espresso (about 30 to 60 ml), freshly made; 1 large handful of ice cubes (iced build); 1 to 2 teaspoons honey, maple or simple syrup (optional)

Method

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What is a dirty matcha

A dirty matcha is the tea-and-coffee crossover: a matcha latte with an espresso shot added, named the same way as the dirty chai. The two flavours cover each other's gaps, with espresso bringing roast, body and bitterness while matcha brings grassy sweetness and umami, and the drink reads like a smoother, greener take on a mocha. It has moved from speciality cafe menus to a standard order in NZ, and it is one of the easiest cafe drinks to reproduce at home.

Why does the build order matter

Density does the layering. Milk is the heaviest layer, the thin matcha-and-water mix floats above it, and the espresso, poured last and slowly, sits on top helped by its crema. Build in that order over ice and the glass arrives with the brown-on-green-on-white stripes the drink is known for. Pour the espresso first and everything muddies to khaki immediately.

The layers are for the first look, not the flavour. Stir before drinking so the coffee and matcha actually combine, which is where the drink earns its keep.

How do you make a hot dirty matcha

Whisk the same 4 g matcha base with 60 ml of hot water at 75 to 80 degrees Celsius, pour it into a mug with 180 ml of hot frothed milk (about 60 to 65 degrees, as for any latte), then pour the espresso over the top and serve. Hot, the layers blur quickly, so treat it as a flavour build rather than a looks build, and sweeten to taste. The espresso stands up to heat better than delicate matcha notes do, so keep the water off the boil for the matcha step exactly as you would for a plain latte.

How much caffeine is in a dirty matcha

More than either parent drink alone, which is the point for most people ordering one. The 4 g of matcha carries very roughly 76 to 176 mg of caffeine and a single espresso adds about 63 mg, so a standard dirty matcha lands in the region of 140 to 240 mg, above a double-shot flat white at about 130 mg. Make it a gentler drink by halving the matcha or using a half shot, and think twice about ordering one late in the day.

How much caffeine is in matcha: the full serving-by-serving numbers behind these figures.
Matcha vs coffee: how the two halves of this drink compare on caffeine, crash and cost.

Common questions

How much caffeine is in a dirty matcha?

Roughly 140 to 240 mg for the standard build: about 76 to 176 mg from 4 g of matcha plus about 63 mg from a single espresso shot. That is more than a double-shot flat white, so it is a morning drink for most people.

What does a dirty matcha taste like?

Like a matcha latte with a coffee backbone: the espresso's roast and bitterness sit under matcha's grassy sweetness, and the milk rounds both. People who find plain matcha too vegetal or plain coffee too harsh often land on it as the middle path.

Can I use instant coffee instead of espresso?

Yes. Dissolve 1 to 2 teaspoons of instant coffee in about 30 ml of hot water to make a strong shot and float it the same way. The flavour is less rounded than real espresso, but the drink still works.

Which matcha grade should I use for a dirty matcha?

Culinary grade. Between the milk and the espresso there is a lot for the tea to cut through, which is exactly what culinary matcha's robust profile is for. Ceremonial grade is wasted under a coffee shot.