Holiday Spiked Chai

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Cocktail History

The Holiday Spiked Chai is a Christmas cocktail that was created at Miracle, a franchise that organizes Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bars around the world each holiday season. This copycat recipe, based on the ingredients listed on the menu at a Minneapolis bar I visited in December 2022, pairs spiced rum and brandy with creamy almond milk, chai, almond liqueur, simple syrup, bitters, and frothy egg white to make an incredible tiki-inspired drink. And just like at the bar, it’s served in an iconic Christmas Carol Barrel mug designed by Cocktail Kingdom.

Cocktail Ingredients

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following ingredients:

Almond Milk: This is a beverage made with almonds, salt, and water. I used 365 By Whole Foods Market Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk.

Spiced Rum: This is a type of rum made with sugarcane, spices, and water that has been barrel aged for a long period of time and flavored with spices. I used The Kraken Original Black Spiced Rum.

Chai Concentrate: This is a beverage made with chai spices, black tea, and water. I used TAZO Classic Chai Latte Black Tea Concentrate.

Brandy: This is a spirit made with distilled white wine. We used Driftless Glen Distillery 5 Year Reserve Brandy.

Coffee Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with coffee, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Tattersall Distilling Coffee Liqueur.

Amaretto Liqueur: This is a liqueur made in Italy with almonds, spices, and alcohol. We used Di Amore Amaretto Liqueur.

Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. I made mine using this stovetop recipe.

Egg White: This is the clear liquid in an egg. I used fresh egg white.

Toasted Coconut, Pineapple, & Allspice Bitters: This is a food product made with coconut, pineapple, allspice, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Crude Bitters & Sodas “Tropi-500” Toasted Coconut, Pineapple, & Allspice Bitters.

Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. I used Angostura Aromatic Bitters.

Grated Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seed of a nutmeg tree. I used freshly grated whole nutmeg.

Bartending Tools

To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:

Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. I used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. I used the Boston shaker from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.

Hawthorne Strainer: This is used to strain out ice and solid ingredients after the cocktail is shaken. I used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.

Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. I used the OXO Good Grips Grater.

Note: The barrel mug shown in this post is the original used at the Miracle bars. Find them from these sellers on eBay.

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Tasting Notes

This cocktail has the following flavor profile:

• Appearance: Light caramel chai color

• Aroma: Fresh nutmeg, rum, and creamy chai

• Taste: Thick textured mouthfeel with rum, bourbon, cream, coffee, and spicy chai

• Finish: Strong chai spice with hazelnut notes

Kendall’s Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Kendall’s Take: “This was hands down my favorite cocktail from a local Miracle bar’s menu last year, and I have been so excited to try it again ever since my former partner recreated it at home for me in December 2022. I’m very new to chai in general and have fallen head over heels in love with using it in drinks, and this is the one that started it all. I really like that it’s a departure from the popular boozy hot chocolates of the Christmas season and highly recommend reshaking it! It has a lengthy list of ingredients, but it’s worth the labor.”

Recipe

This cocktail recipe was adapted from the menu at Miracle, a Christmas-themed pop-up bar franchise. The specifications are an estimate based on my best guess for a well-balanced drink.