Not liking coffee can sometimes make one a social outcast. Coffee is not just a beverage in this culture, it’s an obsession, a way of life. It turns out people can actually be genetically pre-disposed to not liking bitter flavors. So it turns out maybe I was born to be a social outcast.
All this is to say that in order to fit in and conform to social norms, I had to find something I could drink when people wanted to go out for coffee. You can only order hot chocolate so many times before people start to make fun of you. Thank god for chai. It saved my social life.
The great thing about going out to bars instead of coffee shops is that I can almost always find something that I like. It’s even better when I can bring it all together in a chai flavored cocktail. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the chaitini.
I combination of vanilla vodka, amaretto, and chai latte, the glass is rimmed with cinnamon sugar, and you can stir it up with a cinnamon stick. It’s sweet and spicy and just a little bit fancy.
We can be friends, even if you want to go to a coffee shop. Maybe we should meet for cocktails, though. I predict more fun.


- 1.5 ounces vanilla vodka
- 1 ounce amaretto
- 2 ounces chai concentrate
- 1 ounce milk or half and half
- Optional: cinnamon sugar and cinnamon stick for garnish
- Add all ingredients except for the garnishes to a cocktail shaker and shake with ice.
- Pour into a martini glass rimmed with cinnamon sugar and and enjoy.
