The Dirty Chai Old Fashioned combines chai flavors with Devils River Whiskey’s Coffee Bourbon for a sophisticated, boozy coffee-chai cocktail.
Devils River Whiskey provided me with complimentary bourbon in exchange for a recipe creation
but all thoughts, opinions, and images are my own.
I’m not a bourbon drinker but I seem to always concoct bourbon-based cocktails and this Dirty Chai Od Fashioned combines my love for coffee and chai with Devils River Whiskey’s Coffee Bourbon.
Dirty Chai Basics
If you aren’t familiar with a Dirty Chai, it’s a coffeehouse drink that’s made by mixing steeped chai tea with a shot of espresso and steamed milk. It’s got that kick of caffeine wrapped in the warm hug of cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger. In short, it’s made for those of us who love fall spices but don’t want to go full-blown PSL.
Mixing up the Dirty Chai Old Fashioned
Now, when it’s 5 o’clock and you’re looking to mellow out rather than perk-up, that’s when you lean on mixing up my Dirty Chai Old Fashioned for a sophisticated, boozy coffee-chai cocktail.
My Dirty Chai Old Fashioned starts with an easy simple syrup that’s then used to steep chai tea bags. I prefer Tazo Chai tea because personally, I think it has the best flavor. It’s neither too gingery or cinnamony, just the perfect balance of all the traditional chai flavors.
Looking for more dirty chair inspiration? Check out my Dirty Chai Cupcakes.
Once the syrup has cooled, I use Devils River Whiskey’s new Coffee Bourbon, a cold-brew steeped bourbon, to bring in the necessary ‘shot of espresso’ expected in a Dirty Chai. Stirred up with a squeeze of lemon and a few dashes of bitters and this cocktail is ready to go.
I prefer my old fashioned served with a large, ice cube that melts slowly and mellows out the drink but you can pour your Dirty Chai Old Fashioned over whatever kind of ice you’d like.
Happy sipping.
Ingredients
Method
- For the chai tea syrup: Make the chai tea syrup by bringing the water and sugar to boil over high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and steep the tea bags in the syrup for 15 minutes. After 15-minutes, drain the tea bags, remove from the pot, and allow the syrup to cool to room temperature. Store unused syrup in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3-months
- Make the cocktail: To make the cocktail, place all of the ingredients in a whiskey glass and stir clockwise 40 times until all ingredients are combined. Top with ice and garnish with a cinnamon stick or star anise as desired.