“Sour milk”– that’s one way the taste of the live-blue-algae latte has been described to Matcha Mylkbar’s co-owner Nic Davidson.

Davidson disagrees. “It’s got quite a unique taste, ginger and lemon. It’s not the taste you expect when you see a blue drink. You expect this really sweet, bubblegum taste, like drinks you had when you were a kid.”

The blue-algae powder, from supplier E3, is mixed with lemon, ginger and coconut milk.

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“According to the supplier it supports mind and body balance, and the immune, nervous, gastrointestinal and cardiovascular systems,” says Davidson.

Despite only being introduced to the St Kilda cafe’s menu last Saturday, the drink has enjoyed enormous popularity after a photo of the striking blue latte appeared on Instagram.

“It’s been pretty crazy. I had my first one this morning. I didn’t even get a chance to have one until then," says Davidson.

The vegan cafe, which also serves cactus-flower bread, mushroom “bacon” and vegan “eggs”, is also known for its colourful lattes, such as a beetroot, a matcha and a mushroom latte.

“It’s like the beetroot latte when we first launched that. But I find that while the beetroot latte tasted very beetroot-y, people don’t generally know what live blue algae tastes like. They’re ordering without knowing what to expect.”