What Is a Dirty Chai

A dirty chai is a chai latte with a shot of espresso added. The espresso is the dirt. It turns a spiced tea drink into a hybrid that is neither fully coffee nor fully tea but borrows the best from both. The chai brings the warmth, the spice, and the sweetness. The espresso brings the depth, the roast, and the caffeine.

What the Espresso Does

Adding espresso to chai does not make it taste like coffee. The espresso integrates with the spices, deepening the warmth and adding a roasted, slightly bitter undertone that makes the drink more complex. The cinnamon and cardamom become richer. The sweetness becomes less cloying. The overall effect is a drink with more dimension than either component has alone.

When to Order One

Order a dirty chai when you want coffee but are tired of coffee. When you want something warm and spiced and slightly indulgent but still caffeinated enough to count. It is a transitional drink. A bridge between the tea drinker's world and the coffee drinker's world. Most cafes can make one even if it is not on the menu. Ask for a chai latte with an added shot. They will know what you mean. Find a cafe near you.

Keep reading: What Is a London Fog, What Is a Matcha Latte, What Is Espresso.