Why Chai Spices and Spirits Were Made for Each Other
Have you ever taken a sip of a well-made chai cocktail and wondered why it tasted so impossibly right? Here is a fact that bartenders figured out long before the craft cocktail revival: the same compounds that make masala chai taste complex and warming do exactly the same thing to spirits. Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, black pepper — these are not just tea spices. They are cocktail spices. They have been showing up in bitters, liqueurs, and mulled wines for centuries. If you have ever explored the gateway spices that define chai, you already know how versatile these aromatics are.
The difference is that most cocktail recipes use these spices individually or in simple combinations. When you infuse a spirit with an entire chai spice blend, you get something richer and more layered than any single-spice infusion could deliver. The spices interact with the alcohol, extracting compounds that water alone cannot pull out, creating flavors that exist nowhere else. It is a completely different experience from brewing a traditional pot of masala chai — and that is exactly the point.
This guide covers two core infusions — chai bourbon and chai vodka — plus five cocktail recipes built around them. Whether you are looking for a winter chai cocktail to serve at a holiday party or a showstopping chai old fashioned for a quiet evening at home, you will find it here. Everything is designed for home bartenders with basic equipment. No sous vide machines. No centrifuges. Just jars, strainers, and a little patience.
Essential Equipment for Chai Cocktail Infusions
Before you start infusing, make sure you have these basics on hand. Nothing exotic — most of it is already in your kitchen:
- 1-liter glass Mason jar (or any wide-mouth glass container with an airtight seal)
- Fine-mesh strainer and cheesecloth or coffee filters (for double-straining)
- Small dry skillet (for toasting whole spices)
- Jigger or measuring cup (precision matters in cocktails)
- Cocktail shaker and mixing glass (a Boston shaker works for everything here)
- Muddler (optional, but useful for garnish work)
- Hawthorne strainer (for clean pours)
- Large ice cube molds (the single biggest upgrade you can make to stirred drinks)
Do not use plastic containers for infusions. Alcohol can leach compounds from certain plastics, and glass is easier to clean and does not retain flavors between batches.
The Science: Why Alcohol Extracts Differently Than Water
Understanding this helps you avoid the most common infusion mistakes — and honestly, it makes the whole process more interesting.
When you brew chai in water, you extract water-soluble compounds: tannins, some essential oils, water-soluble pigments, and caffeine. These are the flavors you know from your teacup. The science of spice is fascinating in a tea context, but alcohol changes the game entirely.
Alcohol extracts a different set of compounds. Ethanol is a much better solvent for essential oils, terpenes, and fat-soluble flavor molecules — the compounds responsible for the deeper, rounder, more aromatic qualities of spices. This is why vanilla extract uses alcohol, why bitters are alcohol-based, and why a chai-infused spirit tastes fundamentally different from chai tea.
The practical implication: infusion times are shorter with alcohol. Alcohol extracts aggressively. What takes ten minutes in simmering water takes one to three days in a spirit — and over-infusing produces bitter, astringent, or medicinal results fast. Patience is good; neglect is not.
Chai-Infused Bourbon: The Warm Foundation
Bourbon is the ideal spirit for chai cocktails because it already contains flavor compounds from barrel aging — vanillin, lactones, and tannins — that complement chai spices naturally. A good bourbon tastes like caramel, vanilla, and oak. Add chai spices and those notes deepen into something that tastes like autumn in liquid form. If you have ever wondered why chai is not just a flavor but a whole sensory experience, chai bourbon will make that distinction crystal clear.
What You Need
- 750 ml bourbon (80-proof, mid-range quality — do not waste expensive sipping bourbon, but avoid bottom-shelf either; something like Buffalo Trace or Wild Turkey 101 works perfectly)
- 4 green cardamom pods, cracked
- 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
- 6 whole cloves
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 inch fresh ginger, sliced into coins
- 2 whole star anise
- 1 tablespoon loose-leaf Assam black tea (optional — adds tannin structure)
The Infusion Process
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Toast your spices. Place the cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, peppercorns, and star anise in a dry skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly for 60-90 seconds until fragrant. Toasting opens up the essential oils and accelerates extraction. Do not skip this step.
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Combine in a jar. Add the toasted spices and sliced ginger to a clean 1-liter Mason jar or any glass container with a tight seal. Pour the bourbon over the spices.
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Add tea (optional). If you want tannin structure that mimics the mouthfeel of actual chai, add the loose-leaf tea. This rounds out the sweetness of the bourbon with a subtle astringency. If you prefer a smoother, sweeter result, skip the tea.
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Infuse for 48-72 hours. Store at room temperature, away from sunlight. Shake the jar gently once a day.
- Taste at 48 hours. If the spices are pronounced and the bourbon still tastes like bourbon (not like a jar of spices), it is ready.
- Maximum 72 hours. Beyond this, the cloves and peppercorns can become overpowering and medicinal.
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Strain twice. First through a fine-mesh strainer to remove the spices, then through a coffee filter or cheesecloth to remove fine sediment. The result should be clear amber with a slight warmth.
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Bottle and label. The infused bourbon keeps for 6 months at room temperature. It will not go bad, but the spice intensity gradually mellows over time.
Common Infusion Mistakes
- Infusing too long. Three days maximum. Cloves especially become aggressively medicinal after 72 hours.
- Using ground spices. Ground spices cloud the bourbon and create gritty sediment that no amount of straining fully removes. Always use whole spices.
- Skipping the toast. Untoasted spices take longer to infuse and produce flatter, less aromatic results.
- Using flavored bourbon. The added flavors in flavored bourbon clash unpredictably with the chai spices. Use a clean, straight bourbon.
Chai-Infused Vodka: The Versatile Canvas
Where chai bourbon is warm and opinionated, chai vodka is a chameleon. Vodka’s neutral profile lets the spices shine without competing flavors, making it versatile enough for everything from martinis to cream-based cocktails. Think of it this way: bourbon brings its own personality to the party, while vodka steps aside and lets the chai do all the talking.
What You Need
- 750 ml vodka (80-proof, any decent brand — Tito’s, Sobieski, or similar)
- 4 green cardamom pods, cracked
- 2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
- 4 whole cloves (fewer than bourbon — vodka has no tannins to buffer)
- 1/2 inch fresh ginger, sliced thin
- 1 whole star anise
- Zest of half an orange (optional — adds citrus brightness)
The Infusion Process
Follow the same process as the bourbon infusion with two key differences:
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Shorter infusion time: 24-48 hours. Vodka’s neutral base means spice flavors emerge faster and have nothing to hide behind. Taste at 24 hours — for many people, that is already enough.
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Fewer cloves. Without bourbon’s tannins and barrel character to absorb clove intensity, you need fewer of them. Four cloves is the ceiling for 750 ml of vodka.
Everything else — toasting, jar storage, double-straining — is identical.
Five Chai Cocktails Worth Making
Now for the fun part. These five recipes cover a range of styles — stirred, shaken, hot, cold, creamy, and bright. Each one showcases a different dimension of what chai cocktails can be.
1. The Chai Old Fashioned
The classic old fashioned is already a spice-forward cocktail (bitters are concentrated spice extracts). Chai bourbon takes it to another level entirely.
Ingredients:
- 60 ml chai-infused bourbon
- 1 barspoon (5 ml) maple syrup
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Orange peel for garnish
- Cinnamon stick for garnish
Method: Add bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters to a mixing glass with ice. Stir for 30 seconds (do not shake — you want silky, not frothy). Strain into a rocks glass over a single large ice cube. Express the orange peel over the surface, drop it in, and add the cinnamon stick.
Why it works: Maple syrup bridges the bourbon’s vanilla-caramel notes with the chai’s cardamom and cinnamon. The bitters add depth without redundancy since their spice profile complements rather than duplicates the chai infusion.
2. Chai Espresso Martini
This is essentially a dirty chai in cocktail form — and if you are deciding between those two beverages, the chai vs matcha comparison might also be on your mind. The combination of chai spices, coffee, and spirit is devastatingly good.
Ingredients:
- 45 ml chai-infused vodka
- 30 ml freshly pulled espresso (cooled slightly)
- 15 ml coffee liqueur (Kahlua or Mr. Black)
- 15 ml simple syrup
- 3 coffee beans for garnish
Method: Combine vodka, espresso, coffee liqueur, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake hard for 15 seconds — you want a thick, creamy foam. Double-strain into a chilled coupe glass. Float three coffee beans on the foam.
Why it works: The chai vodka adds warm spice notes that transform a standard espresso martini into something that tastes like a holiday in a glass. The cardamom especially shines against the coffee.
3. The Spiced Chai Mule
A warming twist on the Moscow Mule that doubles down on ginger.
Ingredients:
- 45 ml chai-infused vodka
- 15 ml fresh lime juice
- 120 ml ginger beer (use a spicy one, not a sweet one)
- Candied ginger for garnish
Method: Add vodka and lime juice to a copper mug (or any glass) filled with ice. Top with ginger beer. Stir gently once. Garnish with candied ginger.
Why it works: Ginger beer amplifies the ginger already in the chai vodka. Lime acid brightens the blend. It is refreshing but warming — a neat contradiction.
4. Chai Hot Toddy
The ultimate winter sick-day cocktail. Comforting, warming, and genuinely helpful for sore throats.
Ingredients:
- 45 ml chai-infused bourbon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 15 ml fresh lemon juice
- 150 ml hot water
- Cinnamon stick and lemon wheel for garnish
Method: Add honey to a mug, pour in the hot water, and stir until dissolved. Add bourbon and lemon juice. Stir. Garnish with a cinnamon stick and lemon wheel.
Why it works: A traditional hot toddy already uses honey, lemon, and sometimes clove or cinnamon. Chai bourbon brings all of those spice notes pre-infused, making this the most effortless and flavorful toddy you will ever make.
5. Chai White Russian
A dessert cocktail that tastes like liquid chai ice cream.
Ingredients:
- 45 ml chai-infused vodka
- 30 ml coffee liqueur
- 45 ml heavy cream (or oat milk for a lighter version)
- Freshly grated nutmeg for garnish
Method: Fill a rocks glass with ice. Pour in the vodka and coffee liqueur. Stir briefly. Float the cream on top by pouring it slowly over the back of a spoon. Grate fresh nutmeg over the surface.
Why it works: The fat in the cream binds with the chai spice oils, creating an incredibly smooth mouthfeel. The nutmeg garnish ties it to the evening chai tradition and adds fragrance with every sip. For a floral twist, try adding a few drops of rose water — inspired by the same aromatic profile found in floral chai blends.
Batch Cocktails for Parties
Both infusions scale beautifully for batch cocktails. Here is a party-sized Chai Old Fashioned:
For 8 servings:
- 480 ml chai-infused bourbon
- 40 ml maple syrup
- 16 dashes Angostura bitters
- 120 ml water (to simulate dilution from stirring)
Combine everything in a pitcher or large jar. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Serve over large ice cubes with orange peel garnish. No mixing glass needed — the pre-dilution means guests just pour and drink.
Seasonal Variations: Chai Cocktails Year-Round
One of the best things about chai cocktails is that they are not limited to winter — though they certainly shine in colder months. Here is how to adapt your infusions and recipes across the seasons:
Fall and Winter
This is peak chai bourbon season. Lean into warm, stirred drinks: Old Fashioneds, Hot Toddies, and anything served in a mug. Darker sweeteners like maple syrup, honey, and brown sugar work beautifully. Consider adding a single allspice berry to your bourbon infusion for an extra autumnal kick.
Spring and Summer
Surprising as it sounds, chai vodka is a summer spirit. The spice notes are lighter and pair well with citrus, stone fruits, and effervescence. Try the Spiced Chai Mule over crushed ice, or shake your chai vodka with muddled peach and lemon for a chai cocktail that works at a July barbecue. Swap heavy cream for coconut milk in the White Russian, and you have a tropical-leaning dessert drink.
Holiday Entertaining
For large gatherings, batch cocktails are your friend (see the batch recipe above). But also consider serving chai-infused spirits as a DIY cocktail station — set out your infused bourbon and vodka alongside mixers, garnishes, and recipe cards. Guests love it, and it takes the pressure off you as host.
Non-Alcoholic Chai Mocktails
Not everyone drinks, and chai spices make incredible non-alcoholic cocktails too. These use the same flavor principles without the alcohol — proof that authentic chai flavors translate beautifully beyond the teacup.
Chai Ginger Shrub: Combine 200 ml apple cider vinegar, 200 ml honey, and 2 tablespoons of your morning chai spice blend in a jar. Shake daily for one week, then strain. To serve, add 30 ml shrub to a glass of ice and top with sparkling water. It is tart, spicy, sweet, and complex.
Chai Milk Punch: Brew a strong pot of masala chai, double strength. Let it cool. Add 30 ml of the cold chai to a glass with ice, top with sparkling water and a splash of oat milk. It is creamy, effervescent, and surprisingly sophisticated.
Troubleshooting Common Chai Cocktail Problems
Even experienced home bartenders run into issues when working with spice-infused spirits for the first time. Here are the most common problems and how to fix them:
- Infusion tastes bitter or medicinal. You over-infused. Cloves are almost always the culprit — they are incredibly potent. Next batch, reduce cloves by half or pull them out 12 hours before the other spices. If the current batch is still drinkable, try lengthening it with a 50/50 blend of infused and un-infused spirit.
- Infusion is cloudy or has sediment. You used ground spices instead of whole, or you did not double-strain. Run it through a coffee filter one more time. For future batches, always use whole spices and strain twice.
- Cocktail tastes flat or one-dimensional. Your spice toast was not aggressive enough, or you used old spices. Whole spices lose potency after about a year. Smell them before using — if you have to press your nose right up against them to smell anything, they are too old. Toasting should produce visible wisps of aromatic vapor.
- Too spicy or too much heat. Cut back on the black peppercorns and ginger in the next infusion. For the current batch, balance the heat in cocktails with more sweetener (maple syrup, honey) or dairy (cream, oat milk).
- Chai flavor does not come through in the cocktail. Increase the ratio of infused spirit or reduce the other ingredients slightly. In shaken drinks, you can also add a small pinch of ground cinnamon directly to the shaker — just a dusting — for an aromatic boost.
Storing and Gifting Your Infusions
Chai-infused spirits make outstanding gifts — and honestly, few homemade presents get a better reaction. A few practical notes:
- Shelf life: 6 months at room temperature, indefinitely in the refrigerator.
- Presentation: Transfer to a clean glass bottle with a cork or swing-top closure. A handwritten label with the infusion date and spice list adds a personal touch.
- Gifting pairs: Include a small card with one or two cocktail recipes. A bottle of chai bourbon paired with a jar of good maple syrup and a card with the Old Fashioned recipe makes a gift that people actually use.
The Bottom Line on Chai Cocktails
Chai spices and spirits share the same vocabulary — warmth, complexity, depth, aroma. Combining them into chai cocktails is not a gimmick or a passing trend. It is a natural pairing that bartenders and home cooks have been exploring in various forms for centuries, from spiced meads to mulled wines to the chai bourbon and chai vodka infusions we have covered here.
Start with one infusion. Bourbon if you lean toward brown spirits, vodka if you prefer versatility. Master the infusion timing (48-72 hours for bourbon, 24-48 for vodka), and you will have a base ingredient that elevates every cocktail it touches. Once you have your first batch dialed in, the five recipes above will keep you busy — and you will almost certainly start inventing your own.
So here is the real question: are you making the Old Fashioned first, or the Espresso Martini? Either way, the winter cocktail season is better with chai in the shaker — and with a little creativity, every other season is too.