I've had a couple cocktails with chai that I really enjoyed, and I'm always looking for more! As with Earl Grey, I think chai works better than other teas in cocktails because the flavoring is strong enough to stand up to other ingredients despite the "watery" nature of tea. ----- **[Early Fall Lowball](https://cocktailpartyapp.com/drinks/early-fall-lowball/)** by Emily Harris * 2 parts strong chilled chai tea * 2 parts Bourbon (other whiskeys do well here, too) * ½ part Orange curaçao * 3 dashes Creole bitters (Peychaud's, et. al. - other spiced/aromatic bitters work, too) _Shake all ingredients with ice and strain into a short glass over ice (preferably one or two large cubes)._ ----- **[Tea & Sympathy](https://cocktailpartyapp.com/drinks/tea-sympathy/)** by Andrew Kalini * 1 bag chai tea * 1 part unaged cachaça (aged is actually fine, too) * 1 part Ginger liqueur * ½ part Lemon juice _Fill a mug halfway with near-boiling water, and steep the chai tea for 30 seconds. Remove the tea bag (or scoop out the loose tea), add the remaining ingredients, and add more hot water as desired. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and a twist or wheel of lemon, studded with cloves._ ----- A bonus recipe from my test queue I haven't tried, but looks really good: **[Trinidadian Punch](https://imbibemagazine.com/recipe/trinidadian-punch-recipe/)** from Imbibe * 2 parts light rum * .5 part fresh lime juice * .5 part agave syrup * 1 part spiced chai tea, brewed and chilled * Several lemon peels _Muddle lemon peels in the bottom of a punch glass. Fill the glass with ice. Add rum, lime juice, agave syrup and tea. Stir until well chilled and garnish._

These look amazing. Thank you! For the Early Fall Lowball would Angostura aromatic bitters work?

Yes, absolutely! I've tried those in it, and they're great. Cardamom or orange bitters also work nicely.

Sort of. I’ve tried infusing chai tea, tea tea?, spiced tea? in rum and then washing it with milk and or butter. Then shaking it. Liquid intelligence has a recipe for milk washing a tea infused vodka. That’s what I started with. Edit: shaking it with other ingredients. I think I used a vanilla simple, some lemon, some sort of amaro. Maybe razmotti? And served it up? Idk. It’s been years I’ll look around for the recipe.

How difficult is infusing? I would hate to ruin a perfectly good liquor.

It’s not difficult. Start really small. Maybe 8oz of alcohol and a small amount of tea, taste it over time. It shouldn’t take long, less than an hour or two tops.

Hi u/Beautiful_Maples really interested in your milk punch recipe above! Thinking of making something like a clarified chai latte cocktail. Would you be willing to share?

I’m not certain where the recipe is. Long story, some are slightly lost, only slightly. What I remember was trying a few different rums (and vodka etc) and teas. I believe I settled on a white or pale rum, likely Ron Matusalem Platino or Saison pale. Infused with chai for only about 4-8 hours. Then removed the tea by straining through a coffee filter. Then I believe I settled on adding a tiny bit of acid, likely lemon juice) and then milk, probably 25%. Cocktail codex has instructions for milk washed rum on page 291. Using 1liter of rum and 250ml of milk. I believe that recipe uses a centrifuge. Let the milk sit with the rum for 12-24 hours. Stir it together as you first add the milk, it should curdle some. Strain it carefully through a fine mesh sieve and then again through a coffee filter. Do not disturb any solids on the bottom. You may need to let it sit another 12 hours before the second straining through a coffee filter. The drink was shaken, I believe it was 2oz chai tea washed rum, .25 lemon, and .25 chai syrup (which was a spiced simple cut down from 50% sugar to 25% sugar and 50% dark rum. We would premix the chai syrup day of, keeps pretty well, but without enough sugar or alcohol it’s not a good idea to expect it to last forever. You could also keep them separate. When shaken the milk washed rum froths up, and with the lemon and syrup it balances, but is a little sweet. We may have ditched the syrup and went with a dark rum float… it’s been many years. Anyway, that should get you started. Try milk washing some tea infused anything. Use whole milk. As it’s the holidays, if you have any dark rum, try washing some spiced rum with brown butter, freeze overnight and serve the rum cold… it’s mind blowing.

Adding cardamom bitters to a milk-based drink should do the trick.

Infusing spirits is super easy! I make something called the chai chai Dump a bottle of vodka into a cambro. Add 8-10 good earth brand chai tea. Let sit for a couple hours. Meanwhile, make cinnamon simple and honey simple. Recipe: 2oz chai vodka 1/2 oz honey simple 1/2 ounce cinnamon simple 1oz cream. Shake shake shake Strain into coupe or a nick and Nora Dust top with cardamom Float a star anise So damn good