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Celebrating the holiday season with this cozy Chai Espresso Martini. Homemade vanilla chai and honey simple syrup, mixed with the classic espresso martini ingredients of vodka, Kahlúa, and a shot of espresso. A shot of coconut milk makes the drink a touch creamy and just that much more delicious. This is the perfect subtle twist on the classic espresso martini cocktail. It’s a delicious holiday treat to cap off the night.
The Saturday before Thanksgiving week…the festive season is finally here! I know, I’m the cheesiest, but as I say every single year, the holidays bring out my cheesy side. And I love every minute of the next few weeks.
For once, I didn’t need to spend a lot of time going back and forth on the perfect drink to share today. I knew exactly what I wanted to share with you.
Something warming, something cozy, and something that would really end any holiday evening just right. This is the perfect drink.
The details
The chai syrup is the extra special holiday touch to this martini. It’s also so simple to make. You basically brew chai tea, then add honey and vanilla to create a simple syrup.
The syrup will make enough for about six cocktails. This is awesome to have on hand for any…unannounced guests…or if you just want to make yourself a fancy holiday martini. It’s not too sweet, perfectly spiced with warming flavors of chai, and just lightly hinted with vanilla.
Shake the chai honey syrup with vodka, Kahlúa, a shot of espresso, and a shot of coconut milk. You’ll get a sweet martini with just the right amount of espresso, hints of vanilla, and a little creaminess too. Oh so GOOD!
The key to a good espresso martini is all in that frothy top. I know it might seem like a hard thing to achieve, but it’s actually very easy. You just need to really shake the drink together with ice for a good minute to create the froth. The harder you shake, the more froth you’ll get.
I wanted to make the drink sparkle and shine, so I rimmed the glass with a sweet vanilla-sugar (simply sugar mixed with vanilla bean seeds). Not needed…but really festive (and delicious) for the holidays.
And that’s it. Enjoy guys! This one is perfect for both Thanksgiving and Christmas entertaining.
Looking for other easy after-dinner holiday drinks? Here are my favorites:
Lastly, if you make this Chai Espresso Martini, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Chai Espresso Martini
Servings: 1 martini
Calories Per Serving: 1157 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
Chai Honey Syrup
- 1/2 cup honey
- 4 bags chai tea
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- vanilla sugar, for rim (optional)
Martini
- 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) vodka
- 1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) Kahlúa
- 1 ounce espresso
- 1 ounce canned coconut milk
- grated nutmeg and star anise, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- 1. To make the chai honey syrup. In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil. Remove from the heat, add the chai tea bags, cover and steep 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the honey. Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil 3-5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Stir in the vanilla. Let cool. This syrup makes enough for about 6 drinks.2. If desired, rim your glass with vanilla sugar.3. In a cocktail shaker, combine 1-2 tablespoons chai syrup, vodka, Kahlua, espresso, and coconut milk. Add ice and shake vigorously for 1 minute. Strain into the prepared glass. Garnish with grated nutmeg and star anise, if desired.Â
Amazing! Perfect cocktail for after-Thanksgiving treat! Can’t wait to try the Caramel Espresso Hot Chocolate!
Hey Leslie,
I love to hear that this recipe worked out for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
These look delicious! I have chai tea concentrate. How would I work out the ratios for that versus using tea bags? Thank you!
Hey Cameron,
Sorry, I honestly have no idea, I am not familiar with using chai tea concentrate. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, cheers! xTieghan
Made this recipe a couple of times and both with great results! It takes a while to froth up but on the second shake it has a good amount of froth to hold up the grated nutmeg and star anise.
The flavour is totally delicious and smooth, it’s also great without the alcohol…I did this when using up the remainder of the syrup; just espresso, milk and syrup and shake with ice in the ratio 3:2:1 respectively.
Hey Chelsea,
I love to hear that this recipe worked out for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
I tried this recipe last night – did have coconut milk separation issues but it was delicious! Do you think maple syrup could be substituted for honey in the chai syrup?
Hey Abbey,
Wonderful! Love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks for making it! Yes, I think that would work well for you. Have the best week:) xTieghan
Are you able to make a large batch of these ahead of time and then shake them up individually? Thanks!
Hey Victoria,
Sure, that would work well for you. I hope you enjoy this recipe, cheers! xTieghan
I made these for thanksgiving and they were a hit!! Don’t skip the nutmeg garnish! When I added the syrup to the shaker the honey solidified at the bottom which got a little messy. Is that normal or do you have any tips? Thanks!
Hey Sarah,
I love to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Did you allow the syrup to cool? That should help! xTieghan
I doubled the syrup to have on hand. Where is this best stored?
Hi Lisa,
You can keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Thanks for giving the recipe a try, cheers! xTieghan
Where are these glasses from? Too cute!
Hi Delma,
Here is the link for the glasses:
https://shopstyle.it/l/bAFBQ
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could you use strong French press coffee instead of espresso? This looks amazing!
Hi Becca,
Sure, that would work! I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
So good! Tested tonight ahead of bringing to my friend’s for Thanksgiving. Substituted Kahlua for Mr. Black coffee liquor. Slightly less sweet – worked perfectly!!
Hey Lydia,
Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
I’ve noticed on a few drink recipes now that when you go to print and change the serving size that the water amount written in the recipe doesn’t scale up. When going from 1 to 2 servings on this recipe, that’s a half cup of water for 8 tea bags, and 4 was already kind of a stretch trying to have enough water for them to steep. But a half cup of water for 8 tea bags doesn’t really work in a pot, even a small one. Is this a glitch or is it really a half cup? Thanks!
Hey Taylor,
So sorry about this! Since the written part of the recipe is part of the computer system that adjusts the measurements for ingredients, you will have to double that yourself. I hope this helps for next time! xTieghan
Wow wow wow! Soo good! I used full fat coconut milk and also didn’t get the foam, but WHO CARES? It’s delicious!
Hi Gina,
Thanks so very much for giving this recipe a go, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Hi! Your syrup looks like it is fully home-made rather than using tea bags. Can you share the recipe for that? It’s really pretty 🙂
Hi Morgane,
I made mine with the tea bags, I just added a few fresh spices: cinnamon, ginger, star anise to the syrup after making it. I hope you love the recipe, cheers! xTieghan
Hi there! What type of coconut milk do you use so that it doesn’t separate?
Also curious to know this. Would it help to strain the milk?
You really just need to shake or stir your milk really well:)
Hey Erin,
in my experience all coconut milk separates, you really just need to shake it up before using:) I love Native Forest brand. I hope you love the recipe! xTieghan
Hi! What is the best way to make these in advance / can you mix the ingredients a day or two ahead of time and store in the fridge? Wanting to make for Thanksgiving. Also love your recipes so much, thanks for sharing!!
Hey Nic,
I would only make the syrup in advance and keep in the fridge. I hope you love this recipe, cheers! xTieghan
Very yummy but mine didn’t come out as pretty as yours. The coconut milk was a little lumpy and i didn’t get the froth.Would you heat the coconut milk to make it creamy? i did shake it for a minute. Delicious!
Hey Jamie,
Awesome! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a try! I would try shaking a little harder, it really shouldn’t affect the drink too much with such a small amount of milk. xTieghan