Say goodbye to festive week and hello to winters with these creamy, chai cocktails
Disclaimer: You may get addicted!
Do you remember what you felt when you first heard the term ‘chai tea latte’? It was probably a chuckle with a sense of amusement over the whitewashed world finally waking up to the delectable aroma and aura of our good, old desi chai.
Now if you’re truly, truly a chai-holic, you know a steaming hot cup is the perfect accompaniment to merrymaking.
How about we add some booze to it?
Let the recipes below wake you up to the delicious and happy-high virtues of creamy, chai cocktails!
Creamy chai martini
Ingredients: Instant chai powder - 1tsp (or one chai tea bag), hot water - 1 ounce, ice, milk - 2 ounces, gin - 1.5 ounce, maple syrup - 3/4 ounce, amaretto liquer: 1/2 ounce, nutmeg and star anise for garnish
Method: This drink best fits a coupe glass. Put this is the refrigerator to chill prior to starting. Dissolve the chai powder in hot water or steep your tea bag for 5 to 10 minutes. Add the tea, milk, gin, maple syrup and amaretto liquer to a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake till it turns cold to touch and frothy. Strain this into the chilled coupe glass and garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a whole star anise.
(recipe from Dash of Jazz)
Vanilla chai tea White Russian
Ingredients: For chai tea simple syrup — chai tea bags - 4, honey - 1/3 cup, vanilla extract - 1tsp; chai White Russian - vodka - 2 ounces, Kahlua - 1.5 ounces, chai tea syrup - 1 to 2 ounces, heavy cream - 1 to 2 ounces; cinnamon sticks and star anise for garnish
Method: For the simple syrup, steep the tea bags in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the honey to this and bring to a boil over high heat. After 3 to 5 minutes, remove from heat, stir in the vanilla and let cool. This keeps well in the fridge for upto 2 weeks.
Fill a glass with ice, add the vodka, Kahlua and chai tea syrup. Stir gently, add the heavy cream. Give it another stir and garnish with cinnamon and star anise.
(recipe from Half Baked Harvest)
Frosty chai
Ingredients: Chilled chai tea - 3 ounces, chilled heavy cream - 1 ounce, coconut spiced rum cream - 2 ounces, ground cinnamon for serving
Method: Blend all the ingredients on high for 20 to 30 seconds or till frothy. Pour into a cocktail coupe and garnish with a pinch of ground cinnamon.
(recipe from Mandy Tanner)
Ready to take your taste buds and your cup of chai out of the PG-13 zone?
