PSA: Nitro matcha cold brew tea exists—this is what you need to know

Now that bottles nitro coffee grace the shelves of Whole Foods and Starbucks has picked up on the trend, it seems zany to think that the brew style didn’t really become mainstream until a mere two years ago. But considering that it was only introduced to the caffeinated masses in 2011, it’s fair to say that it’s rocketed to popularity, thanks to its no-sugar-added sweetness and velvety texture. And now one coffee distributor has harnessed the powers of nitro brew and merged it with another celebrated wellness beverage: antioxidant-rich matcha tea.

Matcha and sencha are brewed together, and then the concoction is infused with nitrogen and poured through pressurized valve to give it the frothy, creamy texture nitro-coffee lovers crave.

This month, major coffee distributor Joyride released its Nitro Matcha Cold Brew Tea. According to CEO David Belanich, the nitro tea concoction is “matcha and sencha brewed together, combining the savory umami flavors and natural vegetal sweetness green tea drinkers love.” The brew is then infused with nitrogen and poured through pressurized valve to give it the frothy, creamy texture nitro-coffee lovers crave.

Joyride first began flirting with the idea of a nitro matcha tea in 2014, but “it took us years to develop a nitro matcha that worked on draft and that we could be proud of,” Belanich told me.

Since the concept of nitro matcha is fresh off the press, you won’t be able to find it at every coffee shop and chain around the country. Currently, Joyride sells its brew in kegs to shops like The Kitchen Cafe in Boston, Foragers Market in New York City,  Frost Me Gourmet in Southern California, and Plumed Horse Chocolaterie in Northern California. The good news is that Belanich sees an expansion in the future: “Now that we have something we are really happy with, we definitely anticipate it becoming more prevalent in the markets we serve,” he told me.

Until nitro matcha arrives in your city, you can still learn to brew a frothy cup of matcha at home using Alison Wu’s easy trick.

For other ways to upgrade your matcha habit, check out Dirty Lemons’ take on the drink or this collagen- and probiotic-filled version.