5 Vibrant Green Tea Cocktails You Need To Try

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A cup of green tea can be a powerhouse of antioxidants and nutrients, so much so that tea drinkers might experience improved brain function or even a boosted metabolism from the beverage. And since there are more than 10 varieties of green tea out there, ranging from sencha to matcha to funmatsucha, there are countless ways you can enjoy it. While it’s soothing to sip on, you shouldn’t limit your green tea to a hot mug. Here are five green tea cocktails that’ll get you your daily dose of antioxidants in beautifully boozy form.

1. Green Tea Martini

If you can get your hands on a bottle of green tea liqueur or green tea vodka, you’ll be ready to go. If you can’t, you can brew your green tea with some green tea bags. Here’s a recipe for a green tea martini made with honey, thyme, vodka and lemon juice. This is your sore throat remedy with a boozy twist. We’re not saying it’s healthy for you, but there’s a chance some of those antioxidants might seep into your system. Plus, it skimps on not-so-good simple syrup, so there’s a benefit right there.

2. Green Tea Gimlet

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Calling all gimlet fans! It’s time to give a green tea gimlet a shot. A traditional gimlet has two parts gin, one part lime juice and soda. But for a citrusy tea-infused gimlet cocktail, this recipe calls for dry gin, green tea, citrus juice, lemon syrup and citrus zest. You’ll want to give your green tea bags about an hour to steep in order to pull out the maximum amount of flavor.

3. Green Tea Whiskey Highball

A highball points to a group of drinks with a base spirit and a larger proportion of a non-alcoholic mixer, like a rum and coke or a gin and tonic. For a green tea whiskey highball, try blending a shot of Japanese whiskey with some variety of loose green tea like sencha or genmaicha. To create a much stronger flavor than you can get from a tea bag, let loose leaf green tea steep in the Japanese whiskey directly for 30 to 45 minutes. Strain out the tea when it’s time to sip, and you’ll have yourself a strong green tea cocktail.

4. Matcha And Gin Sour

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Lattes are just the tip of the iceberg in the matcha universe. Matcha also makes a killer cocktail ingredient. You could try a matcha and gin sour with fresh matcha green tea powder, lemon juice and gin. Or for something a little more creamy, this matcha tea gin sour adds egg white and agave to the mix. The citrus ingredients compliment the vibrant green matcha with its naturally sweet herbal smell.

5. Green Tea Russian 

A white Russian is one of the most indulgent cocktails out there, with a combination of vodka, coffee liqueur and cream. A green tea Russian is basically the matcha latte of the cocktail world. This matcha green Russian is a creamy mixture of whole milk, sugar, matcha, vanilla bean, vodka and fresh cream. Watch out — if you’re not careful, you’ll be downing these like they’re milkshakes.

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