Vanilla chai, white rum and a pour of cold brew, shaken cold and dusted with cinnamon. This Chai Cocktail tastes like your favorite coffee-shop chai latte with an adults-only twist, and the caffeine keeps the holiday party going well past dessert.
When the holiday season rolls around, the cozy cocktail recipes come out to play. This one sits right next to my Coffee Cocktail and Hot Buttered Rum on cold nights. Set out a plate of cardamom Christmas tree cookies alongside, because the cardamom in that buttery dough picks up the same warm spice that’s in every sip.
What is a chai cocktail?
Chai comes from India, where masala chai is black tea brewed with warm spices like cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and cloves, then simmered with milk. This cocktail borrows that same spiced, creamy profile: vanilla chai spice and chai concentrate for the spice, toasted coconut almond milk for the body, white rum for the kick and dirty chai cold brew for the coffee.
That coffee is what makes it dirty, the same way a dirty chai latte gets a shot of espresso.
Why you’ll love this recipe
It’s the grown-up version of a chai tea latte, it comes together in one shaker, and it works as an after-dinner drink and a pick-me-up in the same glass.
Ingredients
- Vanilla chai spice – stirred into the rum first so it dissolves before anything else goes in.
- White rum – clean and light, so the chai spices lead.
- Chai concentrate – sweetness and a big hit of chai flavor.
- Toasted coconut almond milk – creamy with a little nuttiness. Any milk you like works here.
- Dirty chai cold brew – no milk added, just the strong stuff.
- Cinnamon – for the garnish.
How to make a chai cocktail
In a small cocktail shaker, stir the vanilla chai spice into the white rum until it dissolves. Add ice, then the chai concentrate, almond milk and cold brew.
Shake hard, strain into a glass over fresh ice and finish with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
Expert recipe tips
- Dissolve the spice first. Stirring it into the rum before the ice goes in keeps it from clumping.
- Sweeten to taste. A splash of simple syrup or a spoonful of brown sugar if you like it sweeter.
- Go darker. Swap the white rum for dark rum for a deeper, richer drink.
- Swap the coffee. A shot of espresso stands in for the cold brew, or add it on top for a bolder buzz.
- Shortcut it. Replace the cold brew and rum with Kahlua.
- Go homemade. Homemade chai syrup works in place of the concentrate.
- Dress it up. Garnish with a cinnamon stick or a star anise pod instead of ground cinnamon.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Swap the white rum for apple cider. It keeps the drink cozy and plays well with the chai spices.
Yes. Multiply the recipe by the number of drinks you need and mix everything except the ice in a pitcher. Shake each drink over ice to order.
The coffee. A dirty chai is chai with a shot of espresso, and this one gets its coffee from dirty chai cold brew.
More cozy cocktail recipes
Shake one up on the next cold night. If you try it, please rate the recipe card and tell me what you think in the comments!
Ingredients
- 1/2 teas Vanilla Chai Spice
- 4 oz White Rum
- 1 teas Chai Concentrate
- 2 oz toasted coconut almond milk
- 4 oz Dirty Chai Cold Brew No milk added - just the strong stuff
- Ice
- Cinnamon - for garnish
Instructions
- Combine the Vanilla Chai Spice and white rum in a small shaker.
- Stir to dissolve spices.
- Add ice, chai concentrate, almond milk, and cold brew.
- Shake vigorously.
- Strain into a cocktail glass over fresh ice.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of cinnamon or anise pods.
Nutrition
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
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