Iced Chai Latte
"Coffee shop vibes, Costco prices. The math works out to roughly 1/6 the cost of Starbucks."
The Game Plan
-
Bring 2 cups of water to a rolling boil in a small saucepan.
-
Remove from heat and add 6 chai tea bags. Yes, six. You need this concentrate strong enough to stand up to ice and milk without turning into vaguely spiced water.
-
Let the bags steep for exactly 5 minutes. Set a timer. Under-steeping leaves it weak; over-steeping makes it bitter.
-
Remove the tea bags. Do not squeeze them — squeezing pushes out tannins that make the tea taste harsh.
-
While the concentrate is still warm, stir in the honey and vanilla extract until the honey fully dissolves.
-
Let the concentrate cool to room temperature. To speed this up, pour it into a wide shallow bowl or set the saucepan in an ice bath.
-
Once cool, transfer to a jar and refrigerate until cold, at least 30 minutes.
-
When you're ready to serve, fill four glasses generously with ice.
-
Pour the chai concentrate over the ice, filling each glass about halfway.
-
Top with cold milk and stir gently.
-
Dust with cinnamon (and cardamom if you went for it). Admire your work.
-
Top with whipped cream if you're going full coffee shop mode. No one's judging.
-
Pop in a reusable straw and pretend you're not going to finish this in four minutes.
