My Honest Pop & Bottle Matcha Review

Water is great on a hot day. But, sometimes, you want more from your drink, and that's why I stock up on lattes and juices whenever a heat wave strikes. I'm always on the lookout for new treats, and on a recent Target run, I spotted three Pop & Bottle matcha lattes in the juice cooler. The labels promised no dairy or refined sugar, which sounded like a good way to cool down without overloading your body.

I took home all three varieties--Matcha Green Tea Almond Latte, Strawberry Matcha Almond Latte, and Peaches and Cream Matcha Almond Latte--and decided to review each one. Ultimately, the marketing was a little misleading, and a couple of blends weren't what I'd expected at all. Still, the bottles are undeniably stylish in your fridge. If you've been eyeing this brand, here's a rundown of my thoughts in this honest, non-sponsored Pop & Bottle review.

What is Pop & Bottle?

Pop & Bottle started in 2015 when two friends, Jash and Blair, started selling their coffee drinks at Whole Foods. In the decade that followed, the brand expanded to stores across the United States and diversified its product selection to include matcha, cold brew, concentrates and more. Pop & Bottle celebrated its millionth sale in 2018, only three years after the creators opened their first office.

Matcha Green Tea Almond Latte

On the label, Matcha Green Tea Almond Latte promised simple ingredients: matcha, green tea, dates, almond milk, spirulina, vanilla extract and Himalayan pink salt. While the bottle was a little small for the price (almost $4), the clean, simple packaging made this drink look like a product you'd see in a wellness influencer's fridge. I need some luxury in my life, so I was looking forward to trying this drink on a hot day.

With a clean, earthy flavor, this beverage lived up to its marketing. Matcha lattes are often too sweet for me, but this drink had a simple recipe that let the earthiness shine. The almond milk added a hint of nuttiness that eased the matcha and green tea's bitterness without overpowering the grassy flavors. Dates and vanilla extract made the drink a little sweet but not syrupy.

Overall, this was a light, refreshing drink that quenched my thirst without leaving me feeling heavy and bloated. It's not the best option for matcha purists, but if you don't mind the added ingredients, this crisp blend of matcha and green tea might put you in a relaxed, meditative state. As a bonus, you'll get some fiber and minerals.

Strawberry Matcha Almond Latte

Strawberry Matcha Almond Latte had similar ingredients to the basic blend, but with the addition of coconut nectar and strawberry juice concentrate. This drink was also high in sugar, offering a whopping 28% of your daily value. I love strawberries, so I had high hopes for this one, but the sugar content made me question the wellness claims.

Sure enough, this latte was much sweeter than the previous drink. The strawberry juice concentrate had a sugary, artificial taste that made it hard to taste the matcha, and the almond milk was practically undetectable. I couldn't shake the feeling that I was drinking matcha mixed with fruit punch, and those flavors don't blend together well.

Reduced sugar might have salvaged this drink, but as it is, the recipe was just too cloying for me. Still, if you enjoy fruity, sugary drinks, you might enjoy it. This latte is about as healthy as a Starbucks beverage, and it's half the price.

Peaches and Cream Matcha Almond Latte

Like the strawberry blend, Peaches and Cream Matcha Almond Latte was high in sugar, offering 27% of your daily value. Unlike the other drinks, this recipe included oat cream and peach juice concentrate. Oat cream sounded like the perfect counterpart to the sugary juice, and it gave me a little hope for this final entry in my Pop & Bottle review.

Ultimately, the oat cream was a mixed bag: it gave the drink a pleasantly rich, milky flavor, but it also enhanced the juice flavors and made the drink sweeter than ever. The matcha and green tea were practically invisible, adding little but a grassy aftertaste. However, the cream did balance out the sweetness, and I enjoyed this more than the previous latte.

Rich, milky, sweet, fruity--this drink has it all, and if you enjoy multi-layered flavors, you're in for a treat. This latte was a decent addition to my afternoon snack. Still, I probably wouldn't buy it again. It's not quite as healthy as the marketing implies, and the matcha didn't contribute much to the flavor profile.

Overall Verdict

Matcha Green Tea Almond Latte is the best option for matcha lovers. It's clean, simple and refreshing with a little added sweetness. The fruit-flavored varieties contain lots of sugar and added ingredients that make it hard to taste the matcha, so they didn't quite live up to the "clean" and "healthy" marketing. If I wanted to try Pop & Bottle again, I'd stick to the basic matcha latte.

Are you a Pop & Bottle fan? Which of these drinks would you try? Sound off in the comments.