The green tea latte, sometimes known as the matcha latte, is the perfect middle of the day pick-me-up. This simple combination of matcha powder, milk and sugar is subtly bitter sweet.  Because it’s made with matcha and not coffee, you’re more likely to be energized longer and less likely to caffeine crash. You won’t find this out on the signboard for Starbucks, but most baristas will know how to make the drink if you ask for it.

At Starbucks you can order your green tea latte with one pump of regular syrup for a little sweetness. The drink comes both iced and hot – I personally prefer the hot version. And it also comes in a frappuccino version. And because I am a lover of all things sweet, I prefer to have my frappuccino with extra matcha and a pump of white chocolate mocha sauce, whipped cream on the top please.

But if you aren’t really into Starbucks, or just aren’t into Starbucks prices, never fear! The green tea latte can be found in most coffee shops that carry matcha powder – such as Peets Coffee. And even better, the green tea latte is relatively simple to make at home. One of my favorite recipes can be found here at Just One Cookbook’s blog. And if you find that is still too bitter and not sweet enough, Trader Joe‘s sells a Matcha Green Tea Latte mix with the sugar already added in for just $3.99 a can.