Matcho Man Cocktail Recipe

The Matcho Man cocktail is an original, Mojito-inspired creation from Chicago’s Queen Mary Tavern, combining white rum, white overproof rum, lime juice, mint matcha syrup, simple syrup, and makgeolli, a sparkling rice wine from Korea. 

“It’s a gentle variation on a Mojito, which we love on a beautiful day,” says Dan Smith, general manager at Queen Mary.

Like a Mojito, this drink has a base of white rum but calls for a small portion of overproof rum for complex layers and a more intense flavor profile. Instead of muddling mint in the cocktail, herbal flavors come from a mint matcha syrup. The easy-to-make syrup contributes earthy and savory notes from the matcha and bright, green vegetal aromatics from the mint.

“The combination of mint and matcha suggests itself very naturally,” says Smith. “Mint is bright and green, and matcha is green, but with a deep, vegetal aspect rather than a bright and refreshing aspect. The two are a natural combination.”

Why the Matcho Man cocktail works

This recipe is a simplified adaptation of the original and keeps the integrity of the drink intact. Though the cocktail is fairly straightforward to make, the mint matcha syrup takes a little preplanning. We’ve created a basic, easy-to-follow recipe that works beautifully in this refreshing highball. 

“The challenging thing for me, always about working with matcha, is that it is so finely ground,” says Smith. “Normally, when we use any other tea, we would infuse it into something, probably the spirit, because the flavor extracts so well into alcohol, and then you can just strain it out. With matcha, that’s kind of impossible. It doesn’t really strain. It’s so finely ground that if you strain it, it’ll clog up whatever strainer you use. And so, what we’ve done is we made a mint matcha syrup.”

Because the mint matcha syrup has such a robust, grassy profile, a touch of regular simple syrup is added to the mix. Fresh lime juice balances the sweetness, lends acidity, and brightens the cocktail. 

Makgeolli tops the drink. This Korean sparkling wine has a subtle fizz with a slightly cloudy appearance and light, fermented yeast notes. The tangy wine lends a slight creamy texture to the drink as well. A garnish of fresh mint tops the drink and enhances the herbal aromatics.