This Chai Espresso Martini is a fun fall twist on the classic cocktail. It's made with homemade spiced chai syrup full of warming spices. This espresso martini makes a great holiday cocktail during the fall and winter months!
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Why This Recipe Works
Perfect flavor combo - Chai and coffee go really well together and if you've never tried an Iced Dirty Chai Latte, I highly recommend it! It's basically a bigger non-alcoholic version of this cocktail. The warming spices make this the perfect drink for fall and winter.
Easy to make - Although you're making your own syrup for this drink, it's still really easy to make! All you need is some chai tea, sugar, water, and your regular espresso martini ingredients. If you don't want to make the syrup, you can use chai concentrate instead to save time!
Homemade syrup - Nothing beats the flavor of homemade syrup! It's always going to be better than store-bought and it's so much easier to make than you might think! If you do want to keep it extra simple and use store-bought, my favorite brands are Monin or Torani.
Ingredients
- Chai teabags - You could use a mix of spices to make the syrup like I initially did for this Iced Matcha Chai Latte, but using teabags is so much easier, cheaper, and more accessible. You don't have to buy any spices you'd normally never buy and you don't have to measure anything.
- Cane sugar - The syrup is made with cane sugar because it's the most neutral-tasting sugar and a little less processed than your classic white sugar. You can also use brown sugar if that's what you have or if you want the syrup to have a deeper, a little more molasses-like flavor.
- Espresso - Freshly brewed espresso is the best for this cocktail but if you don't have an espresso maker, you can use strongly brewed coffee, cold brew coffee, or French press.
- Coffee liqueur - This is a classic and highly recommended to up the coffee flavor in the cocktail if you have it. Kahlua is the most popular one.
- Vodka - Vodka is what's most commonly used in an espresso martini. It's very neutral and goes well with coffee.
Variations and Substitutions
- Chai concentrate - If you don't want to make your own syrup, you can add chai concentrate instead. Most chai concentrates are sweetened but not as sweet as syrup so I recommend adding ¼-1/2 oz of maple syrup to the cocktail as well.
- Rum - If you don't like vodka, you can use golden or dark rum would be delicious with chai in the drink just like in this Rum Espresso Martini.
- Decaf - If you don't want the caffeine, use decaf espresso or your favorite decaf coffee instead.
- Non-alcoholic - You can make the cocktail non-alcoholic by skipping the vodka and Kahlua and either using a non-alcoholic spirit or leaving it out altogether. Add a splash of almond milk or oat milk instead to make the drink creamy!
Step-by-Step Instructions
First, you'll make the chai simple syrup if you're not using chai concentrate. Then you'll brew some espresso and make the cocktail.
Chai Syrup
- Add the water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Take off the heat and add chai tea bags.
- Steep the tea for 10 minutes and remove the tea bags. Squeeze as much tea out of the bag as possible.
- Add cane sugar and bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Take the syrup off the heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Store the syrup in an airtight jar or a bottle in the fridge.
Chai Espresso Martini
- Add vodka, Kahlua, and chai syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Brew a fresh shot of espresso and add it to the shaker along with a dash of orange bitters, if using.
- Add a handful of ice and shake the cocktail vigorously for 5-10 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail into a martini or coupe glass and garnish with three coffee beans. Enjoy!
Serving and Storing
An espresso martini is often garnished with coffee beans but I went with whole star anise for this chai one to match the flavor of the cocktail. This is totally optional though!
The syrup can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. The cocktail itself is best consumed right away.
FAQs
You can serve it with a cheeseboard or other appetizers but it also goes really well with any kind of chocolate dessert.
Because the cocktail needs to be shaken to have the pretty foam on top, it's hard to make it in a pitcher and have it come out the same way.
Dirty chai martini is just another way to say chai espresso martini. It's an espresso martini with chai syrup, coffee, Kahlua, and vodka.
It's called "dirty" because it has coffee in it. A chai latte is a mix of chai concentrate and milk. A dirty chai latte is a chai latte with a shot of espresso.
More Cocktails with Espresso
If you're looking for even more espresso martini variations, definitely check out the four below! To see other ones and the newest cocktails, head over to Cocktails.
- Creamy Espresso Martini
- Rum Espresso Martini
- Tequila Espresso Martini
- Chocolate Peppermint Espresso Martini
📖 Recipe
Chai Espresso Martini
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 1x
- Category: Cocktail
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: America
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Chai Espresso Martini is a fun fall twist on the classic cocktail. It's made with homemade spiced chai syrup full of delicious warming spices.
Ingredients
Chai Syrup
- 1 cup water
- 4 chai tea bags
- 1 cup cane sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Chai Espresso Martini
- 1 ½ oz vodka
- ½ oz Kahlua
- 1 oz chai simple syrup
- 1 shot espresso (regular or decaf)
- a dash of orange bitters (optional)
- ice
- 3 coffee beans for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Chai Syrup
- Add the water to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Take off the heat and add chai tea bags. Steep the tea for 10 minutes and remove the tea bags. Squeeze as much tea out of the bag as possible.
- Add cane sugar and bring the mixture to a boil stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.
- Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Take the syrup off the heat and stir in vanilla extract.
- Store the syrup in an airtight jar or a bottle in the fridge.
Chai Espresso Martini
- Add vodka, Kahlua, and chai syrup to a cocktail shaker.
- Brew a fresh shot of espresso and add it to the shaker along with a dash of orange bitters if using.
- Add a handful of ice and shake the cocktail vigorously for 5-10 seconds.
- Strain the cocktail into a martini or coupe glass and garnish with three coffee beans. Enjoy!
Notes
Non-alcoholic version: use a non-alcoholic vodka spirit or use almond milk instead for a creamier espresso martini. Skip the Kahlua or add ¼ teaspoon of coffee extract.
Syrup: The syrup is made with 1 cup of chai tea made with 4 chai teabags, 1 cup of cane sugar, and vanilla extract. Simmer the sugar and tea for 10 minutes and stir in vanilla extract. See the chai simple syrup recipe for more information. Store leftover syrup in the fridge for 2 weeks.
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Elaine says
I made this for hubby this past weekend and he loved it, so now it will be on our cocktail rotation!
Gloria says
I love chai and espresso. This is a great drink for date night. Also, a sure way to impress dinner guests with an after dinner cocktail.
Bernice says
Coffee cocktails are my jam, especially at this time of year. I love the pep it puts in my step and just one gives me the energy to power through my holiday to do list!
Mikayla says
What's not to love, all my favorite flavors combined into a really terrific drink. Thanks for the recipe!
DK Park says
I made this recipe and I love how easy to make it, aside from that it is also delicious!
Carrie Robinson says
I love anything that is chai spiced! :) This would be the perfect cocktail to make for the holidays. Great idea!
Jamie says
Oh my, this is indeed a classic cocktail dish! It looks amazingly delicious and very tasty! The color and texture make this so enticing and very appealing! Loved it!
Alex says
This sounds incredible! I love espresso martinis and I love chai. So this looks perfect for me!
Erin says
Thanks for the mocktail version! I'm so going to try this for New Year's Eve. Thanks!
Sean says
I love chai tea and this is the perfect drink to have at the end of the meal.