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a rocks glass containing a finished vanilla chai old fashioned is served on wooden board surrounded by bar tools and bottles.

vanilla chai old fashioned

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Made with whole vanilla bean, loads of chai spice, and smoky-sweet bourbon, these vanilla chai old fashioned cocktails deliver warmth and festivity. Perfect for crisp fall evenings!  

  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 2 drinks (plus about 1 cup extra chai syrup) 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

For the Chai Simple Syrup: 

  • 1 cup water
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • Half vanilla bean pod
  • 2 chai tea bags

For Each Cocktail:

  • 3-4 teaspoons homemade chai syrup (can add less or more depending on preference)
  • 3 dashes bitters
  • Orange twist
  • Ice
  • 1.5 ounces bourbon
  • Vanilla bean pod halves (from making the syrup), for garnish
  • Whole star anise, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Slice the vanilla bean half lengthwise, to produce 2 strips that are each 1 quarter of the whole pod. In a small pot over medium-high heat, bring the water and maple syrup to a low boil. a halved vanilla bean is sliced lengthwise on a wooden cutting board next to a small saucepan of liquid.
  2. Turn off the heat, add the vanilla bean pieces and tea bags and let steep for about 15 minutes. After the steeping is complete, remove the vanilla bean pieces and tea bags and pour the syrup into a pitcher or bottle. Reserve the vanilla bean pieces to garnish the finished cocktails and stick the tea bags in the fridge for making tea if you want! They still have some life left.  2 chai tea bags and vanilla bean pieces are added to the saucepan
  3. In the bottom of an old-fashioned glass or other low, wide glass, combine 3-4 teaspoons chai syrup, a few dashes bitters, and an orange twist. Muddle a little bit to release the oils from the orange peel. I don’t have a real muddler so I just use a heavy spoon!chai syrup, orange peel, and bitters are muddled in the bottom of 2 wide glasses
  4. Add ice as desired. large square ice cubes are added to each glass
  5. Pour the bourbon over the ice, then stir to combine it with the syrup mixture. bourbon is poured over the ice into each glass and stirred
  6. Garnish each vanilla chai old fashioned with a vanilla bean piece and whole star anise. Enjoy!the cocktails are garnished and served

Notes

  • Add as much or as little chai simple syrup as you like! I go with 4 teaspoons in mine for a moderate sweetness and solid punch of chai flavor. Feel free to add less for a more bourbon-forward cocktail, or more if you want an extra sweet treat! 
  • If you want to make a less concentrated version of these vanilla chai cocktails, add some plain sparkling water at the end and stir once or twice to mix gently. I recommend adding just 1-2 oz of sparkling water to start. Keep in mind the ice will melt and mellow the flavors out as well. 
  • Author: kelly@crescentmoonkitchen
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Steeping Time: 15 minutes
  • Category: drinks
  • Method: stirred
  • Cuisine: cocktails

Find it online: https://crescentmoonkitchen.com/vanilla-chai-old-fashioned/