How much matcha should go into a shot?

2g of matcha is enough for a classic shot finished with milk or soda only. For a shot going into syrups or fruit purée, 3g keeps the matcha's character against the added sweetness.

What water temperature should be used for a matcha shot?

Water should be heated to 70°C, never boiling. The shot uses 50–60ml total: first 10–20ml whisked into a smooth, lump-free paste, then the remaining water added to reach the full amount.

Can the same matcha shot be used for smoothies or baking?

No. This method is for drink recipes only — lattes, iced tea, and soda. Smoothies and cooking recipes use a different preparation, since matcha there is incorporated directly into other ingredients rather than whisked as a standalone base.

How should matcha be stored?

A closed pouch can be kept in a cool place or the fridge. Once opened, keep it in a cool place away from heat and light, in its original packaging. Cafés using matcha many times a day should decant a day's portion into a separate airtight container each morning, opening the original pouch only once for refilling.

How to Make a Matcha Shot: The Base for Every Drink

Q: What is a matcha shot?

A matcha shot is matcha dissolved in a measured amount of hot water and whisked smooth, with no lumps or dry powder remaining. Nothing else is added at this stage — no milk, cream, or syrup. It serves as the base for lattes, iced tea, and matcha soda.

Q: Why does matcha clump?

Stone milling grinds matcha to only a few microns, and at that scale the powder develops a static charge that causes fine particles to cling together. This is the same fineness that gives ceremonial matcha its silky texture, and sifting breaks the static bond before whisking.

A matcha shot is a small, concentrated base — matcha dissolved in hot water and whisked smooth — used as the starting point for lattes, iced tea, and matcha soda. The reason to make one is simple: it guarantees the same taste in every cup, a base that reliably makes the drink good, whether it's the first order of the day or the last.

What Is a Matcha Shot?

Matcha dissolved in a measured amount of hot water, whisked until no powder or lumps remain. Nothing else goes in at this stage — no milk, no cream, no syrup. This step decides the final texture of the drink: matcha whisked directly into milk or cream never fully dissolves, while matcha whisked first into water becomes a smooth concentrate that mixes into anything without a trace of grain.

Why Does Matcha Clump?

Stone milling grinds tencha slowly between granite wheels until the particles measure only a few microns, far finer than flour. At that scale, the powder naturally develops a static charge during milling, and the finest particles cling together into small clumps the moment air reaches them. This is the same fineness that gives ceremonial matcha its silky texture and dense foam — sifting and whisking simply break that static bond before the powder meets water.

Clumps from fine ceremonial matcha are light and powdery, hold a vivid green colour, and break apart easily with a light pass through a sieve or a few strokes of the whisk.

Clumps from lower-grade matcha behave differently — they feel gritty or damp to the touch, resist breaking apart, and often carry a duller, more brownish tone rather than bright green. If sifting and whisking don't restore a smooth, clump-free base, the powder itself — not the technique — is the reason.

How Much Matcha for a Shot?

2g — for a classic shot finished with milk or soda only. The matcha carries its full flavour without competing with anything else.
3g — for a shot going into syrups or layered additions, where more matcha keeps its character against sweetness or fruit.

Use this range as a starting point and adjust to the specific recipe.

Ingredients & Utensils

Ingredients

2–3g Estradora ceremonial matcha.
50–60ml water, heated to 70°C.

Utensils

Bamboo whisk (chasen).
Fine sieve.
Matcha bowl.

Preparation

Sift the matcha into the bowl through a fine sieve.
Pour in 10–20ml of water at 70°C. Whisk until smooth and creamy, with no lumps — a clean, even texture is the goal at this stage.
Add the remaining water, up to a total of 50–60ml.
Whisk briskly in a W-shaped motion until a fine, smooth foam appears.

Matcha Shot Recipes: Latte, Iced Tea, and More

The same concentrate becomes:

A hot latte — poured first into the bottom of the glass, then topped with steamed milk, the same way a coffee shot is built. For a clean pour and latte art, don't whisk the shot to foam: stir the 50ml gently, without the W-motion, so it stays smooth. The foam and the pattern on top come from the milk, not the matcha.
An iced latte — ice first, then cold milk, with the shot poured on top last.
A matcha soda — ice first, then sparkling water, with the shot poured on top last.
A drink with syrup or fruit purée — ice first, then the syrup or purée, then water or milk, with the shot poured on top last; this is where the 3g version holds its own against the sweetness.

This method is for drink recipes. Smoothies and cooking recipes follow a different preparation, since matcha there is incorporated directly into other ingredients rather than whisked as a standalone base.

How to Store Matcha

Matcha dislikes moisture, light, and heat. All three dull its colour and flatten its flavour.

Humidity is the biggest risk. Matcha has no anti-caking agents, so damp air makes it clump — and that clumping doesn't go away with sifting. This matters in Cyprus, especially near the sea, where the air indoors tends to stay damp.

Closed pouch: keep it in a cool place, or in the fridge.

Opened pouch: keep it in a cool place, away from heat and light, in its original packaging. Our 100g pouches are opaque and seal well, so they're enough on their own.

For cafés using matcha many times a day: each morning, before opening the pouch for service, decant the day's portion into a separate airtight container. Use from that container through the day, and open the original pouch just once, to refill.

For more ideas, explore our other matcha recipes.