The Mont Blanc started making the rounds in Melbourne specialty cafés and has since become a quiet favorite for people who take their iced coffee seriously. It's not complicated, but it rewards good ingredients — bright espresso, real citrus, and a cold foam that's more structure than filler.

The Mont Blanc that we launched in our cafés recently stays close to the original: espresso, orange, vanilla. We've built ours around Owl's Howl, our house espresso.

The Matcha Mont Blanc we launched swaps the coffee base for ceremonial-grade matcha for something greener and quieter.

Both versions are topped with a orange vanilla cold foam. We collaborated with Bouquet Infusions to create the in-café drinks, but we're adapting for at-home recipes below. 

Mont Blanc 

Espresso, vanilla cold foam, orange zest

The classic. Owl's Howl has the brightness and body to hold up against citrus without getting lost. Use freshly squeezed orange juice — it makes a noticeable difference in the foam.

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 4–6 oz iced Americano (double espresso over water and ice)
• 1 oz fresh orange juice, divided
• 1–2 tsp vanilla simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water, steeped with a vanilla bean or a splash of extract)
• 1.5 oz heavy whipping cream
• Fresh orange zest
  
• Ice

Method

1. Build the base. Fill your glass with ice. Pour in the iced Americano and stir in ½ oz of the orange juice.
2. Make the foam. Combine the heavy cream, remaining ½ oz orange juice, and the vanilla simple syrup in a small pitcher. Froth with a handheld frother for 30–45 seconds until you have a thick, pourable cold foam.
3. Pour and garnish. Gently pour the foam over the coffee base. Finish with orange zest

Matcha Mont Blanc

Ceremonial matcha, vanilla cold foam, orange zest

Same architecture, different register. Matcha in place of espresso shifts the whole drink — earthier, a little grassy, with a subtle bitterness that plays well against the citrus.

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 2 tsp ceremonial-grade matcha powder
• 4 oz cold water (for mixing) + ice
• ½ oz fresh orange juice 
• 1–2 tsp vanilla simple syrup (1:1 sugar and water, steeped with a vanilla bean or a splash of extract)
• 1.5 oz heavy whipping cream
• Fresh orange zest 
• Ice

Method

1. Prepare the matcha base. Sift the matcha into a bowl or small pitcher. Add 2 oz of cold water and whisk vigorously until smooth and frothy, then add the remaining 2 oz cold water. Pour over a glass of ice and stir in the orange juice.
2. Make the cold foam. Combine the heavy cream and vanilla simple syrup in a small pitcher. Froth with a handheld frother for 30–45 seconds until thick and pourable.
3. Pour and garnish. Float the foam gently over the matcha base. Top with orange zest.
   

A few notes: For the espresso version, pull your Owl's Howl shots fresh and let them cool slightly before pouring over ice, or make the Americano in advance and chill it. Either works.

The foam is meant to be poured, not spooned — aim for something that flows slowly off a spoon and sits just above the coffee rather than collapsing into it.

Our Mont Blanc uses Owl's Howl Espresso — available through our shop.