Matcha Honey Sour

Dry January has arrived. And Ku Cha is here for you across the month, as well as year-round for ideas about how to use glorious tea to craft mocktails. Here’s one sure winner—a fizzy matcha drink enlivened with honey and lemon, and silky with texture. For those who participate, savor Dry January 2026!

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 Tsp premium matcha
• 2 oz warm water
• 1 oz fresh lemon juice
• 3/4 oz honey syrup
• 1 oz aquafaba, optional
• Ice
• Lemon peel or light dusting of matcha for garnish

Honey syrup
Combine equal parts honey and warm water (for example, a quarter of a cup of honey with a quarter of a cup of warm water). Stir until dissolved. Cool before using. You will have leftover syrup if you make just one cocktail.

Method

• Whisk matcha with a small amount of warm water until completely smooth. Add additional water to make a strong, clean matcha and let it cool fully.
• Add cooled matcha, fresh lemon juice and honey syrup to a shaker. If using aquafaba, add it now.
• Fill shaker with ice and shake hard until well chilled and lightly frothy.
• Strain into a chilled coupe or small stemmed glass.
• Garnish with a thin lemon peel expressed over the glass or a very light dusting of matcha.

Notes
Serve up, not over ice.
Balance should lean bright and savory rather than sweet. Add honey syrup gradually and taste as you go.