Homemade Chai Liqueur has the bold and comforting flavors of spiced chai in a boozy blend that's perfect for cozy nights or festive gatherings. Whether you enjoy it neat, mixed into a Chai White Russian, or drizzled over desserts, this homemade liqueur is a pure luxury! It's simple to make in under 30 minutes for your home bar and bursting with warming spices.
As a huge chai lover, I was racking my head for chai-based cocktails for the holidays when I was like helloooooo, Kahlúa-style chai liqueur!! Kahlúa is a super sweet coffee liqueur that's one of my favorites for cocktails.
This recipe perfectly translates the flavors of masala chai into a boozy liqueur, especially when you add a bit of cream to it to make a Chai White Russian.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- It's been a HIT at holiday gatherings and it only takes half an hour to put together. The outcome is a spicy, fragrant, sweet chai liqueur that's great to drink on the rocks or in a cocktail.
- This would be such a cute handmade holiday gift for family members and friends to add to their home bar.
What is Chai Liqueur
Chai liqueur is a sweetened black tea with chai spices and rum. It's inspired by Kahlúa, which is a sweet coffee liqueur. It's surprisingly way too easy to make! All it requires is boiling some tea with spices and you're ready to go. The best part is that it's completely customizable to your taste!
Ingredients - Notes and Substitutions
- Black Tea - For the recipe, I based it off of Tetley British Blend tea bags which is a Kenyan and Assam blend and the brand my father usually goes with. I used five of them for four cups of water to make a strong tea. I also really like Danedar! Pick a brand of CTC black tea you know and trust! Don't use early grey or anything with other additives.
- You can also use masala chai readymade mixes! There are reputable brands like The Chai Box, Madhu Chocolate, and One Stripe Chai Co. Measure out the instructed amount for 4-5 cups of tea and omit the spices in the recipe, unless you'd like to add more.
- Spices - It's always better to use the highest quality spices you can find that are single-origin. We're using whole green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, ginger powder, and black pepper. You can also add other spices you like such as nutmeg, star anise, and roses.
- Alcohol - I tested the chai with Our New York Vodka, Bacardi Rum, and Bacardi Spiced Rum. I think all of them work depending on what you're looking for.
- The vodka lets the flavor of the tea and spices shine through, but it didn't cut all the sugar so it's sweet to the point where you may pucker up if you don't have a sweet tooth. It's also dangerously delicious. I would add about 3 cups of vodka to the chai and but pay attention to the alcohol content you're adding. Make some calculations and jot it down on the label for reference.
- The rum unsurprisingly gave that Kahlúa-style taste to the chai liqueur which is really strong. I would also add about three cups of rum to the chai.
- The guy at my local liquor shop really insisted on trying spiced rum. I was super hesitant to even give this a shot, because I didn't want it to overpower the chai spices. If you use spiced rum, make sure you take a look at which spices are used. If it's really strong, I'd stray away from it because it'll dilute the spices you worked so hard to steep. 2 cups is more than enough.
- You can also use Everclear. I'd recommend the 190 proof if you're able to find it. However, it is illegal in many states so check this beforehand. It really lets the chai shine through but it's not necessary. The best substitute is vodka.
How to Make Homemade Chai Liqueur
- Bring four cups of water to a boil in a large pot or saucepan.
- Once the water is boiling, add the tea bags and the spices. Reduce the heat to low.
- Simmer the spices and tea on low for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then. Taste for strength of spices and tea, and add more if necessary.
- Take the pot off of heat and add in the sugar. Stir the tea until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Allow the tea to cool completely before adding the alcohol and straining into a sanitized bottle.
I essentially make chai very similarly to how I would for 4-5 people! I just omit the milk and add an absurd amount of sugar and rum.
Add a teaspoon of vanilla extra for a vanilla chai liqueur!
| I made Chai Liqueur labels for you for easy labeling!! These are super cute for gifting or if you're planning on storing a few. Download them and print them on Avery Round Labels (22856). |
Serving Suggestions
Serve chai liqueur neat or over ice for a warming sip. Mix it into cocktails like chai-spiced White Russians, boozy chai lattes, or spiked hot chocolate. Drizzle it over ice cream for an affogato vibe or use it in baking for a flavorful twist.
Frequently Asked Questions
If your black tea bags are caffeinated, then yes. You can also use decaffeinated black tea bags or rooibos for this recipe.
This mostly depends on the alcohol you use. Alcohol and sugar is a pretty decent preservative, but you'd need a high proof alcohol to prevent microbial growth. In general, keep the liqueur in a sanitized liquor bottle out of sunlight and it can last years which makes it an amazing gift.
If you're planning to use it soon, keep it in the fridge to chill before adding to cocktails. Shake it before using.
Kahlúa is crazy sweet! It has 33g of sugar per serving, which is 2.5 fluid ounces.
The recipe originally was 4 cups of sugar, and that was too much for a big sweet tooth like me. I reduced it to 3 cups, but that's per my taste. Please reduce it as much as you'd like!
This totally depends on the alcohol you're using and how much of it you use, so it's hard to say.
Yes! Tea, spices, sugar, and alcohol? Say less! It's really great alone, but potentially a bit too sweet for some palates. It's almost like a chai syrup!
The best way to use it is as a Chai White Russian!
If you come up with any other fun cocktails, be sure to let me know in the comments!
More Cocktail Recipes to try
Recipe
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Chai Liqueur
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 5 bags black tea bags
- 5 green cardamom pods, cracked open
- ¼ cinnamon stick
- 8 cloves
- ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly cracked
- ¼ teaspoon ginger powder
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups rum or vodka, see notes
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Add the tea bags, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cloves, black pepper, and ginger powder.
- Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring in intervals.
- Remove the pot from heat and add the sugar. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved.
- Allow the tea to fully cool to room temperature on the counter or in the refrigerator before pouring in the 2 cups of rum.
- Strain the liquid into sanitized bottles. Add a label for when the chai liqueur was made and cool in a cool, dark location.
- If you're planning to use it soon, keep it in the fridge to chill before adding to cocktails. Shake it before using.
Notes
- If you're using clear rum or vodka, feel free to use more than 2 cups. Calculate the alcohol content and drink safely.
- For spiced rum, use a maximum 2 cups to prevent overpowering the chai spice.
- For Everclear, 190 proof is the best. They may not be legal in your state, so check beforehand. Calculate the alcohol content and drink safely. Vodka is the next best substitute.
- Kahlúa is VERY sweet. You can use up to 4 cups of sugar, or reduce it according to preference.
- To test this recipe, I used 5 Tetley British Blend tea bags. Strength of the tea depends on the brand of black tea used.
- This recipe makes around 5 cups of Chai Liqueur, which is great for large gatherings or storing for later use. To reduce it, use the slider over the Serving Size.
Nutrition
This recipe was updated on 12/3/2024 to add more clarity, reduce the sugar, and define clearer serving sizes.
Theresa K. says
Cardamom pods are not available in my area, can I use ground Cardamom?
Shweta Garg says
Yes as long as it’s ground green cardamom, not ground black cardamom.
Maureen says
I adore Chai but am sensitive to cardamom. Will reducing the green cardamom adversely impact the overall chai flavor?
Shweta Garg says
Absolutely, you can do as little or no cardamom if you’d like.
Resham says
As a chai lover, this was a great take on chai liqueur. When It comes to tea, I love my tea strong and bitter. I’m the complete opposite with my alcohol though - I love sweet alcohol - and this combination of a perfect brew of spiced chai and rum was definitely sweet, so if you don’t have a huge sweet tooth, definitely would recommend watching the sugar and be careful with how much you’re drinking because it tastes so good you won’t be able to keep track with how much you’ve had 😂
Shweta says
I'm laughing at the last sentence! It's way too easy to consume a lot of it!