Once a niche order at specialty cafes, matcha is now firmly in the mainstream—and demand for the drink is showing no signs of slowing down. Along with permanent storefronts, pop-up cafes with extensive matcha menus have been opening up all across the U.S., from Georgia to New York. These pop-ups offer a different experience compared to a typical coffee shop, with small matcha businesses collaborating with brick-and-mortar brands to host temporary storefronts, everywhere from Solidcore studios to new clothing boutiques. 

These pop-ups craft inventive matcha drinks, experimenting with different bases such as lemonade or tonic water, with menu items ranging from an orange tonic matcha to a baklava latte, all made with premium matcha. They’re able to move from place to place to reach new people, and the most dedicated fans of certain matcha brands are willing to go out of their way to visit each new location in their city. Some of these small businesses, such as New York-based Matcha Snobs, even sell their consistently sold-out Toasty Yame Matcha online, for those who want to make matcha at home—and are confident they can craft it properly. 

The origins of matcha, a finely ground powder of green tea that is mixed into a drink, can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty in China, in the 7th to 10th centuries. It was eventually introduced to Japan in the 12th century by a Japanese Buddhist monk, and the practice of making matcha gained popularity abroad. 

Fast-forward to the present day, and matcha really started to gain traction in the Western world in the 2010s. In the U.S., it skyrocketed into the mainstream sphere with the rise of the era’s wellness movement. Social media personalities and influencers gushed over its health benefits (some proven, some not)........

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