Chai Liqueur
A deliciously sweet, Kahlúa-style, chai liqueur made of rum, sugar, black tea, and chai spices that's perfect for cocktails.
Servings: 20 servings
Calories: 173kcal
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.
