You've got a beautiful tin of BrewNova Matcha, the ceremonial grade, all set to gift. The packaging is spot-on, the color in the tin is that deep, almost neon green. But when you brew a test cup, it comes out pale, almost yellowish. Panic sets in. You're about to gift something that looks like watered-down grass.

I've seen this happen a lot behind the counter. People come in, frustrated, thinking they bought a bad batch. Nine times out of ten, it's not the matcha—it's the brewing. Let's walk through what we tried and what fixed it.