Iced Matcha Pineapple Drink

This Iced Matcha Pineapple Drink will be your summer go-to. Blended pineapple, coconut water, matcha green tea, sweetened with a little ginger syrup will give you a refreshing buzz.

Apparently I only found out about Starbucks' version of an Iced Pineapple Matcha drink just this week. (Silly me, always living under a rock). But, I wanted to play around with the flavours since Starbucks uses coconut milk in their version.

What is matcha?

If you have been reading my blog, you'll know that I love matcha -- which is a Japanese green tea that is a green powder.

What does matcha taste like?

It has an earthy, grassy note, but pairs beautifully with coconut and fruit.

If you're new to matcha, be aware that there are different grades of matcha, which indicate the quality of the matcha (in general).

Always use a high-quality matcha for the best taste and flavour.

How to tell if the matcha is high quality?

If the matcha is yellow-brown, chances are it will be very bitter and not great tasting.

A high quality matcha has a vibrant green colour, and will smell pleasant. It will not taste bitter.

What does the drink taste like?

It tastes like a light and sweet pineapple smoothie with a hint of earthiness from the matcha.  

For a more pina colada feel, I recommend using canned coconut milk instead of coconut water.

4 ingredients in the Iced Matcha Pineapple drink

• fresh pineapple: cut into chunks; you can use frozen if you have that instead -- just omit the ice
• coconut water: you can use boxed/carton or fresh
• matcha powder: use the best quality matcha you can find
• ginger syrup: you can make your own, or use a premade one. You can also adjust the amount to your liking. I don't like my drinks too sweet so I only used 1 tsp. (The ginger syrup I used was from The Ginger People).
• crushed ice

How to make the drink

In a blender, combine the fresh pineapple along with the coconut water and blend until smooth.

In a tall glass, add in the matcha powder and ginger syrup. 

If you're creating layers, pour in about ¼ C of the blended pineapple into the glass and mix until incorporated.

Add ice to the glass and pour in the remaining blended pineapple.

Stick in a straw and enjoy.

Variation

If you're lazy, and want the entire drink to be green, just stick everything in the blender and whiz until smooth.

Pour into a tall glass with ice cubes. 

You can also try adding coconut milk in place of the coconut water (which would yield a similar result to the Starbucks version).

Try adding mango chunks for a different tropical vibe.

Other drink recipes you may like

Homemade Matcha Espresso Fusion

Iced Honeycomb Lavender Latte

KitchenAid Super Frothy Iced Matcha Latte

It's the perfect drink to start the day with -- energizing and refreshing! Let me know if you try out this Iced Matcha Pineapple Drink -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!