Ice, Ice Baby - but make it a Chai Latte

What is Iced Chai Latte?

Think of a cooler take on Chai, and you get an Iced Chai (Latte). It's chill, it's popular - it's a legit summer beverage! But unlike the hard-to-crack cliques at high school, Iced Chai is really accessible. In fact, you can DIY an Iced Chai. You know you want to, so read on:

Prep time: 5 minutes, Brew time: 10 minutes

Quantity: 1 cup

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup water 
• 1 cup milk (suggested use: dairy; may substitute for non-dairy options) 
• 1 tbsp loose black tea leaves or 2 Chaibag tea bags 
  
• 2 tbsp sugar (optional) 
• 1 inch piece of ginger (ground or grated)
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3-5 ice cubes

The Indian way of making chai : 

1. Boil the cup of water in a kettle. Transfer the boiled water to a stove-top vessel and add the spices.  Let this mixture come to a boil on medium-to-high heat.
2. Add the loose tea leaves and allow the tea to brew in the boiling water for 3-4 minutes. 
3. Turn the heat to low and add the milk and sugar. Turn the heat back up to medium, stirring occasionally to mix the milk uniformly in the chai brew. 
4. Notice the chai brew change color with the addition of milk, and allow it to come to a boil again. 
5. Take the prepared chai off the stove and pour it into your favorite mug over a strainer, to collect the spices and tea leaves above your mug.
   
6. Add ice cubes to the prepared chai latte.

Recipe Steps with ChaiBag: 

1. Heat water to boil in a kettle. Transfer the boiled water to a stove-top vessel and add the milk and sugar.  Let this mixture come to a boil on medium-to-high heat. Boiling the water, milk and sugar together will really help bring the chai flavors home, when you steep the Chaibag tea bag.
2. Steep 2 Chaibag tea bags.
3. Wait for 4-7 minutes, then discard the tea bags.
4. Add ice cubes.  

It's certainly quicker to prepare this beverage using our ChaiBag, as you save time on measuring out the chai and complete the pre-ChaiBag steps together.

Preparation notes:

• Milk: while regular whole milk is the conventional choice for chai, you may choose non-dairy options if preferred
• Sugar: you may choose to substitute this with maple syrup or honey, in the same quantity
• Strength of tea: the more loose tea leaves you use and the longer you boil the tea leaves (or steep the Chaibag) for, the stronger the taste of the tea will be. For this preparation, we recommend brewing the tea for longer to accommodate the additional water content the ice cubes will add.
• Ice cubes: while the amount in the ingredients list is a recommendation, feel free to adjust the number of ice cubes for your beverage.
• Adding more ice cubes will cool the drink further; it will also water it down more (which is perfectly fine, if you enjoy that taste.)

When can you enjoy iced chai?

Warmer months may seem ideal for this nice cold drink. However, here's a secret: nothing beats sipping an Iced Chai Latte by the warm fireplace or in a hot tub! Enjoy your smooth drink as you watch the fall leaves glide onto the snowed roads!