Name: Cocochai
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 18 ounces water; 3 black tea bags; 1 (1-inch) piece ginger , sliced thin; ½ cinnamon stick , plus extra for garnishing; 5 green cardamom pods , lightly crushed; 5 peppercorns; 3 whole cloves; 1 ounce recipe; 4 ounces coconut milk; ¼ ounce vanilla extract

Why This Recipe Works

We were inspired by Vietnamese coffee, a traditional drink in which lower-density coffee naturally floats above higher-density condensed milk. In our “upside-down” version, the milk is layered instead on top of spiced black tea. In testing, we found that the amount of condensed milk needed to create a distinct layer made the drink unpalatably sweet. So we tried a different tack and switched to canned coconut milk, which, when shaken, created gorgeous open bubbles with a frothy texture that was rich but light. Wanting more complexity, we brewed our own chai, an Indian drink made by simmering black tea with any number of spices, but cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves are the most prevalent. All together, this blend made for a pantry-friendly, highly gluggable spirit-free cocktail for any time of day or night.

Before You Begin

This recipe makes enough chai for four drinks.

Instructions

Bring water to simmer in small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in tea bags, ginger, cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, peppercorns, and cloves and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain chai through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl, gently pressing on tea bags to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Let chai cool to room temperature, then transfer to airtight container and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour or up to 1 week.

Fill chilled collins glass halfway with ice. Add 3 ounces of chai and simple syrup and stir to combine using bar spoon. Top with additional ice, leaving room for coconut milk.

Add coconut milk and vanilla to cocktail shaker, then fill with ice. Shake mixture until frothy, about 15 seconds. Arrange spoon concave side down near surface of ice. Gently pour coconut mixture onto back of spoon and into cocktail. Grate extra cinnamon stick over top and serve.