Pop culture: It's not easy being green (tea)

As North American companies tap into what was once an Asian only staple, cold green tea drinks are cropping up everywhere these days. There are now even instant iced green tea drinks as well, as green tea starts to creep into what was only the realm of black tea–based iced tea drinks.

The latest beverage to cash in on the craze is the new Brisk Green—iced green tea with apple flavouring.

For starters, the name is very misleading. It should be reversed: Apple with green tea. The apple taste is so strong (it's also green apple flavour, which is sharper than regular apple juice) that I could not discern any green tea taste at all. The ingredients state that they use green tea powder (matcha), which usually has a strong taste. However the sugary sweet apple flavouring is domineering and leaves an aftertaste.

I much prefer the lighter tasting Snapple green tea with lime, even though you can't really taste the green tea in that one either and it does tend towards tasting more like juice. Nestea's Lemon Green Tea has a much more discernable green tea flavour and a nice balance between sweetness and tartness.

When I'm seeking authentic green tea flavour, however, I go for beverages made in Asia, or the matcha smoothie drinks that have recently become rampant in this city.