St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated every year with enthusiasm, and for good reason! What could be better than getting together with your closest friends, dressing up in head to toe green and sharing a few drinks?
Although St. Patrick’s Day beverages usually revolve around alcohol and bar-hopping which may not be for everyone. Thankfully, there are lots of non-alcoholic options to suit every palette! One of them is the sought after “Shamrock Tea”, which was recently added to the infamous secret menu at Starbucks.
But why pay inflated prices for this delicious beverage when you can easily make it at home? This green drink has only a few simple ingredients that most tea and/or coffee lovers already have stocked in their kitchen!
To order the Shamrock Tea off the secret menu at Starbucks, you would ask for an Iced Venti Green Tea Latte with:
- 2 scoops of Vanilla Bean Powder
- Milk (coconut or other plant-based milk substitutes are recommended)
- A splash of lemonade
However, in order to make your own Shamrock Tea (with a twist!), you will need the following ingredients:
- 2 cups of ice
- ¾ cup of Milk/Milk Substitute (of your choice)
- 2 tbsp of Vanilla Syrup
- 2 tbsp of Peppermint Syrup
- 2 tbsp of Sugar (or a sweet, sugar syrup)
- 2 tbsp of Matcha Green Tea Powder
You simply throw all of the ingredients together into a blender and blend until smooth! Easy, right? The ingredients differ quite heavily from the Starbucks variety as it doesn’t have that citrusy kick, due to the lack of lemonade. The home recipe stays truer to the theme of St. Patrick’s Day with the use of peppermint syrup but if you want that extra kick of tangy citrus, lemonade can definitely be incorporated!
In the home recipe, matcha is the key ingredient not only in achieving that beautiful green hue, but to add a creamy, complex taste and aroma to this drink. The best part? You can add toppings of your choice for even more added texture and flavor! Whipped cream is a popular option and adds a fun twist to the Starbucks variation. Green tea powder is also a great choice for sprinkling over the whipped cream or, if you want to stick to the minty vibe of the drink, you can even sprinkle bits of crushed peppermint. This would make for a delicious (and esthetic) holiday beverage, suitable not only for St. Patty’s Day, but for Christmas parties as well!
You can easily customize this drink by making it hot, to enjoy on a cold, winter’s day, or you can add ice, for a nice, refreshing cool-down in the summer.
Whether hot or cold, this Shamrock Tea recipe will be sure to impress you and all of your friends during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration!
