The green-hued milkshake is as delicious as it is photogenic, with a rich and earthy matcha base that’s balanced just enough to apparently win over both purists and newcomers alike. It runs $8 for a small up to $12 for a large.
"We wanted to create a truly elevated, unique offering within our beverage menu," Sweet Aloha co-owner Jimmy Anderson tells New Times. "The matcha milkshake was a natural next step after years of crafting matcha ice creams like matcha coconut swirl and matcha honey. We’ve improved the recipe recently, and people are loving it more than ever."
A Matcha Viral Sensation
The timing couldn’t have been better. With matcha trending across menus from Miami to Maui, Sweet Aloha’s take on the Japanese green tea treat has become one of the shop's top-selling items. "I'm making a fresh batch of matcha [ice cream] every other day," Anderson adds. That's saying something, considering he cranks out 50 to 60 batches of ice cream a week, each in three-gallon tubs.Sweet Aloha has always had a knack for getting social media buzzing. The shop first opened in August 2021, quickly making waves with its "Kona Coffee Chocolate Chip " and cult classics like a Ube-flavored concoction. Then came a flavor that really moved the needle recently: Dubai Chocolate, a decadent sundae that exploded online after @stickaforkinme dropped a rave review that racked up hundreds of thousands of views in days.
"We've had over 60 percent year-over-year growth since that sundae launched,” Anderson says. "It brought in hundreds of customers, and now more influencers are stopping by regularly." Among them, @thebrowardscene recently came calling — organically — to film and post their own take on the matcha milkshake.
For Anderson and team, the recent attention isn't just a flash in the pan. "We want to expand to multiple storefronts across Broward and Miami-Dade counties," he says. "And we’re going to keep bringing more of Hawaii to South Florida." That includes fresh-blended POG juice, imported Hawaiian Sun sodas, and locally roasted Kona coffee all available in-store.
It's a lot of flavor packed into one small Davie shop, but that’s the whole point. "Our mission is to create a space where we can gather our community members and share experiences," says Anderson. "And also spread the aloha spirit." Mission very much accomplished, and if you haven’t tried that matcha milkshake yet, consider this your very green-hued light.
Sweet Aloha Ice Cream. 8600 W. State Road 84, Ste. A, Davie; 954-530-2231; sweetalohaicecream.com.
