From Tea Ceremony to TikTok

Matcha has been around for nearly a thousand years. In Japan, it was never just a drink….it was ritual, discipline, meditation. Preparing matcha was as much about presence as it was about flavor the whisking, the bowl, the pace…

Fast forward to 2025, and matcha looks very different. You can buy it at most cafes… see it swirling on TikTok in neon layers, or grab it in a ready-to-drink can at a gas station. Somehow, this ancient practice has become one of the fastest-growing cafe drinks in the world

For coffee professionals, it’s worth asking: is this just another fad, or a structural shift in cafe culture?

Why Matcha Is Everywhere Now

There are a few forces colliding to push matcha into the mainstream

Health & Wellness Halo
Coffee is still king, but caffeine is under scrutiny. Podcasts, health influencers, and even scientists are questioning how much is too much. Matcha offers a softer sell… lower caffeine, plus antioxidants and L-theanine (which promotes calm focus). It’s marketed as energy without the crash…

The global matcha market, projected to hit $5.5 billion by 2030, thrives on this wellness wave.

Aesthetic Power
Bright green sells. From a content perspective, matcha pops more than another latte art tulip. Gen Z and millennials drink with their eyes first. Vibrant iced matcha lattes dominate Instagram and TikTok, with users captioning them as the ultimate ‘vibe’ drink. Social media has been rocket fuel for matcha’s rise.

Cafe Culture Flexibility
Younger consumers are less rigid about rituals. It’s not “coffee or nothing.” It’s “coffee in the morning, matcha in the afternoon.” This expands cafe business. You’re not fighting for the same 7am slot… this allows for creating new occasions

Matcha in the Cafe…. Economics and Ops

On paper, matcha looks like a dream for operators/cafes…

• High margins: A tin of decent ceremonial-grade matcha is expensive upfront, but cost per serving is still lower than many specialty coffees. Customers will happily pay $6–8 for a matcha latte but not so fast for a pour-over.
  

• Diversification: It captures non-coffee drinkers and adds upsell potential (dirty matcha, flavored matcha, cold foams)
  

• Year-round demand: Unlike pumpkin spice, matcha isn’t seasonal. Give me matcha madness!

  
  But there are challenges…

  • Consistency: True whisked matcha is messy and time-consuming. Pre-blended powders are easier but lower quality. The workflow decision is a real pain point for lots of baristas
    

  • Brand message: Do you elevate matcha with sourcing and story, or just push it as a colorful add-on?
    

  • Does it actually taste good? It’s a love or hate drink at the end of the day.
    
    

If you click this ad below, it truely helps us build our platform here at Buy the Drip and further our ability to create content that you’ll love, weekly.

Matcha x Coffee = The Hybrid Culture

One of the most interesting shifts is that matcha isn’t competing with coffee…it’s merging with it. Dirty matcha (espresso + matcha) is now a staple on many menus. Cafes like Blue Bottle and Blank Street lead with dirty matcha while others experiment with matcha spritzers (YAAASSS!). Cold brew matcha fusions are starting to pop up…

This mirrors how cafe culture has evolved in the past. Oat milk didn’t replace dairy. It became a side kick. Matcha could carve out its own permanent lane in the same way.

The Coffee Industry’s Dilemma

Here’s the question coffee professionals need to wrestle with…
Do we treat matcha like turmeric lattes a gimmick, a temporary add-on or like oat milk, a category-defining shift?

If we lean in, we can shape how matcha is positioned, sourced, and experienced in cafes. If we ignore it, global chains and wellness brands will own the narrative and suck the life out of it.

One Last Matcha Take

Matcha is more than a drink. It’s a mirror of where cafe culture is heading…more hybrid and less rigid.

The matcha moment isn’t coming. It’s here. The real question is: will specialty coffee embrace it as part of the future or dismiss it like a turmeric latte?

Reading: Matcha’s booming popularity has hit its limits!? Supply is tightening as harvests falter and prices soar……especially in Kyoto. Expect cost pressures, scarcity, and even Hojicha rising as the next trend

Watching: The Dragon is one of the wildest brewers out there ……part siphon, part immersion, all science experiment. I’ve never brewed on it BUT it might be the coolest brewer I’ve ever seen.

Listening: Hijos Del Sol by Hermanos Gutiérrez: A lush instrumental album bathed in sun-soaked surf-rock. It’s atmospheric/cinematic and unlike anything else on your daily playlist. The perfect sonic backdrop whether you’re brewing coffee or vibin’

Brewing: Find the coffee you like with The Bean Geek A simple tool to log your brews, track what you like, and discover new coffees tailored to your taste. Stop guessing, start dialing in.

Distance: Buy the Drip run club. Clocking some kilometers. Help us push a few more kilometers through this week?

Want to join us as we hit the road? Let’s connect on Strava! or, join our Whoop group - just respond to the email and let’s grind together!