To kick off the new year of 2025 Starbucks decided to vamp up their matcha recipe. This means their matcha powder is now different. Now you may ask “Well what has changed?” Well, their matcha powder no longer has sweetener in the actual matcha powder, the powder that gets mixed into milk, water, tea, lemonade, etc. Now in your matcha drink, whether it’s a cold or warm matcha latte, matcha lemonade, etc. you get to decide the sweetness level of your matcha drink. The drink is customizable by adding sweeteners such as sugars, syrups, etc. but the actual powder no longer includes sweeteners. What makes the drink different now is it is a more bitter and more matcha taste, an authentic and more natural matcha flavor. It also has a classic syrup. Many who are trying the new drink describe this flavor as a “grassy” or “earthy” taste.
Starbucks took the initiative of changing their matcha recipe to enhance the actual matcha flavor for those matcha fans out there who enjoy a good matcha but are looking for a healthier alternative and are looking to cut sugar this new year. Now this has caused an uproar for some of the Starbucks matcha fans, yet some people are enjoying the change. Therefore I decided I would be going to the closest Starbucks location and taste-test this new recipe. UPDATE!!!! I tried the Starbucks matcha. And… drum roll please…it was not that great. I personally enjoy my matcha lattes a bit on the sweet side with a not-too-overbearing earthy taste. Unfortunately, this was too earthy for my taste. Now what I will suggest if you aren’t so fond of the new earthy taste is to add your favorite sweetener of your choice to the matcha drink and also to add some type of cold foam on top, which they have many different options of which can make your drink sweeter and a bit more fun!