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.

Milk vs. Non-Dairy Creamer on This Page

Only espresso-based drinks (Blue Mountain Coffee, Mocha Milk Tea, Military Latte, Macchiato Latte) use real milk or oat milk. Tea-based drinks (Taro, Matcha Latte) use non-dairy creamer, not milk, same as the rest of the milk tea menu -- and are brewed per cup on the aeration machine, not batch-brewed. The espresso-based recipes below still need a pass to confirm exactly how milk is steamed/dispensed on our fully-automatic machine, but the ingredient itself (dairy/oat milk) is correct for those drinks.

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)
Non-dairy creamer	Standard dose (see Milk Tea Base)
Black tea	Brewed per cup on the aeration machine
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 the non-dairy creamer dose
7. Add ice
8. Pour in the taro mixture
9. Brew black tea for this cup on the aeration machine, into the cup
10. Blend 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.

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)
Non-dairy creamer	Standard dose (see Milk Tea Base)
Black tea	Brewed per cup on the aeration machine
Sweetener	1-2 pumps depending on customer preference
Ice	Standard fill (for iced)
Boba	Standard portion (optional -- not all customers want boba in matcha)

Matcha Latte is matcha powder with non-dairy creamer and a black tea base -- not an espresso or milk drink.

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 the non-dairy creamer dose
7. Add ice
8. Brew black tea for this cup on the aeration machine, into the cup
9. Pour the matcha mixture on top
10. Blend to combine, or let it create a natural green layered effect on top

Steps (Hot)

1. Prepare the matcha mixture the same way (Steps 1-3 above)
2. Add the non-dairy creamer dose
3. Brew black tea for this cup, hot, on the aeration machine, into the cup
4. Pour the matcha mixture on top
5. Stir gently

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.

Special Berry Chocolate ($7.50)

A rich, creamy blended chocolate drink with a berry swirl on the cup walls. The berry flavor (strawberry or blueberry -- customer's choice) is visible through the cup and adds a fruity contrast to the chocolate base. This is a blended drink, not shaken.

Ingredients (per serving)

Ingredient	Amount
Berry flavor (strawberry or blueberry)	Generous portion for the cup swirl
Chocolate powder	6 scoops
Non-dairy creamer	4 scoops
Sugar	15 g
Hot water	Small amount (just enough to dissolve and blend the powders)
Ice	Fill to the 700 ml mark

Steps

1. Swirl the cup first: Squeeze the berry flavor (strawberry or blueberry, per customer request) into the serving cup and swirl it around the inside walls so it coats the sides. Use a decent portion -- this is the visual and flavor highlight
2. Set the prepared cup aside
3. In the blender cup, add 6 scoops of chocolate powder
4. Add 4 scoops of non-dairy creamer
5. Add 15 g of sugar
6. Add a small amount of hot water -- just enough to help dissolve and combine the dry ingredients
7. Add ice up to the 700 ml mark (or fill the blender cup)
8. Blend fully until smooth and creamy with no chunks
9. Pour the blended mixture into the berry-swirled cup
10. Serve immediately

Berry Choice

Ask the customer whether they want strawberry or blueberry. Both work well. Strawberry gives a classic berry-chocolate pairing. Blueberry is a bit more unique and pairs especially well with the chocolate richness.

Dissolve Before Blending

Add the hot water to the dry ingredients before adding ice. This helps the creamer, chocolate, and sugar dissolve properly. If you skip the hot water and go straight to ice, you may get clumps that do not blend out.

Quick Reference

Drink	Base	Key Ingredient	Common Upsell
Taro	Black tea + non-dairy creamer	Taro powder (dissolve in hot water first)	Sea Salt Cream Cap
Matcha Latte	Black tea + non-dairy creamer	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
Special Berry Chocolate	Blended (no tea/coffee)	Berry swirl + chocolate + non-dairy creamer	Boba

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Last updated: July 2026