Matcha · Zero proof
Uji Tonic
Two ingredients and a technique. The current standard zero proof serve in Tokyo listening bars.
Matcha in full, from where it grows to how it reaches a glass in Europe, is in the Matcha chapter.
GlassHighball, large ice cubes.
Build
- 2 ggood matcha
- 15 mlwater at roughly 70 degrees
- 25 mlcold water
- 130 mlchilled tonic water, to top
MethodWhisk the matcha into the warm water to a smooth paste, then whisk in the cold water. Fill the glass with ice, add tonic first, then pour the matcha slowly over the back of a spoon so it layers green over clear.
GarnishA lime wedge on the rim. Serve unstirred and let the guest fold the layers together.
Cost estimateCHF 1.75
What to expect in the glass
The most photogenic drink in the book and the least forgiving. Unstirred, the first sip is quinine and bubbles and the last is concentrated tea. Stirred, it becomes one clean bittersweet green drink. Both are correct, and serving it unstirred hands the guest a small decision.
The warm paste is the whole technique. Matcha is a suspension, not a solution, and two grams will not disperse in cold water alone: it stays gritty. Fifteen ml at around 70 degrees fixes it without cooking the tea.
Tonic's quinine and matcha's tannin stack, so this leans bitter. The lime is not decoration. A squeeze cuts the tannin and makes the whole thing refreshing rather than serious.
Balance note
Soda water instead of tonic gives a drier, cleaner drink and lets the tea speak. Use soda for anyone who does not already drink matcha, tonic for anyone who does.
Simon's note after tasting
Aroma: clean green tea over citrus and quinine, more restrained than the color suggests.
Palate: bittersweet and lively. The tonic pushes quinine forward and the matcha answers with tannin and a vegetal depth. Stirred it reads as one drink; unstirred it changes from top to bottom.
Finish: dry, green and slightly bitter, cleaned up considerably by the lime.
Overall: the one to serve when you want a zero proof drink that nobody apologizes for. Use soda for a first-timer, tonic for someone who already drinks matcha.