Specialty Drinks

These are our more complex drinks that require specific ingredients or techniques beyond the standard milk tea build. Each has its own preparation method. If you are new, get comfortable with basic milk teas first, then learn these.

Taro Milk Tea ($7.50)

Taro is a root vegetable with a naturally purple color and a sweet, vanilla-like, slightly nutty flavor. Our Taro Milk Tea is one of the most popular drinks on the menu and one of the most visually distinctive thanks to its purple color.

Ingredients (per serving)

Ingredient	Amount
Taro powder	2 tablespoons
Hot water	2-3 oz (just enough to dissolve the powder)
Whole milk	Fill to about 1/3 cup
Black tea base	Fill to about 1/3 cup
Sweetener	1-2 pumps (taro powder is already sweet)
Ice	Standard fill
Boba	Standard portion

Steps

1. Add 2 tablespoons of taro powder to a mixing cup
2. Add 2-3 oz of hot water and stir vigorously until the powder is completely dissolved with no clumps
3. Add the sweetener and stir
4. Let the mixture cool for a minute (or add to the cup with ice immediately)
5. Add boba to the serving cup
6. Add ice
7. Pour in the taro mixture
8. Add black tea base (about 1/3 of the cup)
9. Add whole milk to fill
10. Stir or shake to combine

Dissolve the Powder Completely

Taro powder clumps easily in cold liquid. Always dissolve it in hot water first. If you add it directly to cold milk or tea, you will get gritty lumps that are impossible to mix out.

Color Check

The finished drink should be a creamy lavender purple. If it looks too pale, you may need a bit more taro powder. If it looks grayish, the tea-to-milk ratio is off.

Matcha Latte ($7.50)

Matcha is finely ground Japanese green tea powder. It has a vibrant green color and an earthy, slightly sweet flavor. Our Matcha Latte is a premium drink -- the matcha quality matters.

Ingredients (per serving)

Ingredient	Amount
Matcha powder	1.5 teaspoons (about 2 grams)
Hot water	2 oz (not boiling -- 175F is ideal)
Whole milk	Fill to about 1/2 cup
Sweetener	1-2 pumps depending on customer preference
Ice	Standard fill (for iced)
Boba	Standard portion (optional -- not all customers want boba in matcha)

Steps (Iced)

1. Add 1.5 teaspoons of matcha powder to a small bowl or mixing cup
2. Add 2 oz of hot water (175F, not boiling -- boiling water makes matcha bitter)
3. Whisk vigorously with a matcha whisk or small regular whisk until smooth and slightly frothy with no dry clumps
4. Add sweetener and stir
5. Add boba to the serving cup (if requested)
6. Add ice
7. Pour milk to about halfway
8. Pour the matcha mixture over the milk
9. Stir gently or let it create a natural green-on-white layered effect

Steps (Hot)

1. Prepare the matcha mixture the same way (Steps 1-4)
2. Steam or heat the milk
3. Pour the matcha into a hot cup
4. Add the steamed milk
5. Stir gently

Matcha Sinks

When making an iced matcha latte, the matcha mixture is denser than milk and will naturally sink if poured on top. For a layered look (green over white), pour the milk first, then the matcha. For a uniform green color, stir everything together.

Blue Mountain Coffee ($6.50)

This is a coffee-forward milk tea that bridges our coffee and boba menus. It uses espresso as the base instead of tea, combined with milk and sweetener in the boba milk tea format.

Ingredients (per serving)

Ingredient	Amount
Espresso	2 shots
Whole milk	1/3 cup
Sweetener	1-2 pumps
Ice	Standard fill
Boba	Standard portion

Steps

1. Pull 2 shots of espresso
2. Add sweetener to the hot espresso and stir to dissolve
3. Let it cool briefly (1-2 minutes) or pour directly over ice
4. Add boba to the serving cup
5. Add ice
6. Pour the sweetened espresso over the ice
7. Add milk to fill
8. Stir or shake to combine

For Coffee Lovers

Blue Mountain Coffee is the drink to recommend to customers who say "I do not really like tea" or "Do you have anything with coffee?" It gives them the boba experience with a flavor profile they are already comfortable with.

Mocha Milk Tea ($6.50)

A chocolate-coffee hybrid that combines espresso, chocolate, and milk in the boba format. Richer and sweeter than the Blue Mountain Coffee.

Ingredients (per serving)

Ingredient	Amount
Espresso	2 shots
Chocolate syrup	1.5 tablespoons
Whole milk	1/3 cup
Sweetener	0.5-1 pump (chocolate syrup adds sweetness)
Ice	Standard fill
Boba	Standard portion

Steps

1. Pull 2 shots of espresso
2. Add chocolate syrup to the hot espresso and stir until combined
3. Add sweetener (go lighter since the chocolate is already sweet)
4. Add boba to the serving cup
5. Add ice
6. Pour the mocha mixture over the ice
7. Add milk to fill
8. Stir or shake

Topping Pairing

Coffee Jelly ($1.00) is an especially good upsell with Mocha. The coffee jelly reinforces the coffee flavor and adds a fun texture alongside the boba.

Military Latte ($6.50)

Our strongest coffee drink, popular with the military community from Fort Liberty. 4 shots of espresso, matcha, and mocha blend together for a camo-inspired look. Extra caffeine to power through the day.

The three components -- dark espresso, green matcha, and brown mocha -- create a layered camouflage visual effect in the cup. This is not a subtle drink. With 4 shots of espresso, it has roughly double the caffeine of our other coffee drinks.

Ingredients (per serving)

Ingredient	Amount
Espresso	4 shots
Matcha powder	1 teaspoon (dissolved in 1 oz hot water)
Chocolate/mocha syrup	1 tablespoon
Whole milk	Fills the cup
Ice	Standard fill (iced) or none (hot)

Steps (Iced)

1. Pull 4 shots of espresso
2. In a separate small cup, dissolve matcha powder in 1 oz of hot water and whisk until smooth
3. Add mocha syrup to the espresso and stir
4. Fill the serving cup with ice
5. Pour cold milk to about 2/3 full
6. Pour the mocha-espresso mixture over the milk
7. Slowly pour the matcha on top -- let the layers create the camo effect
8. Do not fully stir -- the layered look is the point

Steps (Hot)

1. Pull 4 shots of espresso into a hot cup
2. Add mocha syrup and stir
3. Dissolve matcha powder in 1 oz hot water separately
4. Steam the milk until hot with a thin layer of microfoam
5. Pour steamed milk into the cup
6. Drizzle the matcha mixture on top for the camo effect

High Caffeine

4 shots of espresso is a lot. If a customer seems unsure or asks for something lighter, suggest a regular Latte ($4.00) or the Blue Mountain Coffee ($6.50) which has 2 shots instead.

Macchiato Latte ($5.00)

A layered caramel macchiato-style drink. The visual layering is part of the appeal.

Ingredients (per serving)

Ingredient	Amount
Espresso	1-2 shots
Vanilla syrup	1.5 pumps
Whole milk	2/3 cup
Caramel drizzle	For the top
Ice	Standard fill (iced)

Steps (Iced)

1. Add vanilla syrup to the cup
2. Add ice
3. Pour cold milk over the ice
4. Slowly pour the espresso on top -- it should sit on the surface creating a layered effect
5. Drizzle caramel on top
6. Do not stir -- hand it to the customer with the layers visible

Do Not Stir Before Serving

Like Brown Sugar and cream cap drinks, the Macchiato Latte is meant to be served layered. The customer can stir it themselves. The caramel drizzle on top is part of the presentation.

Quick Reference

Drink	Base	Key Ingredient	Common Upsell
Taro	Black tea + milk	Taro powder (dissolve in hot water first)	Sea Salt Cream Cap
Matcha Latte	None (matcha + milk)	Matcha powder (whisk in hot water first)	Classic Cream Cap
Blue Mountain Coffee	Espresso + milk	Double espresso	Boba (default)
Mocha	Espresso + chocolate + milk	Chocolate syrup + espresso	Coffee Jelly
Military Latte	Espresso + matcha + mocha + milk	4 shots espresso + matcha + mocha (camo look)	None needed
Macchiato Latte	Espresso + milk	Vanilla syrup + caramel drizzle	None needed

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Last updated: March 2026