Whisked matcha and cold milk over ice, with a fresh shot of espresso poured on top and left to sink through — dirty means the espresso stays visible, not stirred in.
Prep: 5 min · Serves: 1 · Difficulty: Easy · Iced
Ingredients
- Matcha powder (G5 or G7, sifted) — 3 g
- Water (70°C, off the boil) — 30 ml
- Milk (whole milk, cold) — 100 ml
- Espresso (one fresh shot, hot) — 30 ml
- Ice cubes — to taste
Recommended Matcha (VG Matcha Grading)
This one sits in our Café Latte Matcha tier — the everyday, milk-forward grade rather than a top-shelf drinking one. Per our tasting panel, G5 carries the roundest body of the everyday grades, so it disappears smoothly into the milk. G7 tests higher on umami with a touch more astringency and a thinner body — it holds its own better against the milk and espresso instead of blending all the way in.
G5 — rounder, creamier body · G7 — umami-forward, more astringent
Method
- Sift 3 g matcha into a bowl to break up any clumps before liquid touches it.
- Pour in the 70°C water and whisk briskly in a fast "W" motion until smooth and topped with fine foam — about 20–30 seconds.
- Fill a tall glass with ice, then pour in the milk.
- Pour the whisked matcha slowly over the back of a spoon so it settles above the milk instead of mixing straight in.
- Pull a fresh espresso shot and pour it over the top the same way, right before serving. Stir once at the table, then drink.
Matcha Notes
- Why the Café Latte tier fits here. G5/G7 sit a step below our top drinking grades but test with almost no raw vegetal/grassy note — so the cup still tastes clean, and the milk and espresso cover the rest. No need to reach for a premium drinking grade when the dairy and coffee are already doing the flavor work.
- Color is the tell. Good matcha is a vivid, almost fluorescent green. If the tin looks olive, yellow, or dusty, it's stale or low grade — buy from a shop with real turnover.
- Never boiling water. Above ~80°C, matcha turns bitter and the color dulls. 70°C is roughly "just off the boil, rested 60 seconds."
- Whisk in a straight line, not circles. A "W" or "M" motion with a bamboo chasen builds the foam properly; stirring in circles just makes clumpy green water. No chasen — a small milk frother or 30 seconds in a tight-lidded jar both work.
- Sift, always. Matcha clumps the moment it's exposed to air. A tea strainer over the bowl for five seconds saves you from chewing your latte.
- Store it cold and dark. Airtight container, fridge if you go through it slowly — also matcha oxidizes and flattens in flavor within weeks of opening.