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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 we 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. We 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. We used The Kraken Original Black Spiced Rum because it has a strong, smooth, and rich rum flavor. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum.
Chai Concentrate: This is a beverage made with chai spices, black tea, and water. We 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 because it has a rich taste with notes of cherry, vanilla, and caramel. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy.
Coffee Liqueur: This is a liqueur made with coffee, spices, sugar, and alcohol. We used Tattersall Distilling Coffee Liqueur because it has a rich coffee flavor with sweet . For a mocktail version of this drink, try Lyre’s Coffee Original Non-Alcoholic Spiritin place of the coffee liqueur.
Amaretto Liqueur: This is a liqueur made in Italy with almonds, spices, and alcohol. We used Di Amore Amaretto Liqueur because it has a strong almond flavor and a smooth texture. For a mocktail version of this drink, try Monin Premium Amaretto Syrup in place of the amaretto liqueur.
Simple Syrup: This is a sweetener made with white sugar and water. We made ours at home using Alex’s stovetop recipe.
Egg White: This is the clear liquid in an egg. We used fresh egg whites because they add a rich, silky smooth texture.
Toasted Coconut, Pineapple, & Allspice Bitters: This is a food product made with coconut, pineapple, allspice, botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Crude Bitters & Sodas “Tropi-500” Toasted Coconut, Pineapple, & Allspice Bitters.
Aromatic Bitters: This is a food product made with botanicals, herbs, and alcohol. We used Angostura Aromatic Bitters. For a mocktail version of this drink, try All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters.
Grated Nutmeg: This is a spice made from the seed of a nutmeg tree. We used whole nutmeg from the bulk section at our local grocery store.
Bartending Tools
To make this cocktail, you’ll need the following bar tools:
Jigger: This is used to measure and pour ingredients. We used the Japanese jigger from the A Bar Above 14-Piece Silver Bar Set.
Boston Shaker: This is used to shake ingredients. We 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. We used the A Bar Above Hawthorne Strainer.
Grater: This is used to grate spices or citrus peel. We used the OXO Good Grips Grater.
Tasting Notes
The Holiday Spiked Chai has warm, nutty aromas followed by a thick-textured mouthfeel that features the flavors of rum and bourbon intermingled with cream, coffee, and spicy chai, and it has an aftertaste of strong chai spice that’s mellowed a bit with nutty amaretto.
Our Opinion of This Cocktail Recipe: Although ours is a copycat recipe based on the vague ingredients list we found, it’s a faithful recreation of the Holiday Spiked Chai that captures all of the same aromas, flavors, and, most importantly, holiday cheer. If you haven’t been to a Miracle bar yet, add it to your Christmas list this year.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Which of our palates is yours most like?
Find out if your palate is most similar to Alex’s or Kendall’s by answering five questions.
Alex’s Take: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Last year was our first time visiting a Miracle bar at Lawless Distilling, which is now sadly closed, but the experience was amazing. Although every drink on the menu was fantastic, this one was our favorite. We bought the official mug while there, of course, but because the actual recipe was a mystery, we had to replicate it as best we could, which I did with a few liberties. Chai concentrate stands in for the spicy tea flavor, while the other ingredients are as true to spec as I could assume from their unspecific presence on the ingredients list. If anybody knows the actual spec from having worked at one of the pop-ups we would love to know it! Otherwise, please enjoy our copycat version, Christmas tiki barrel or not.”—
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 Alex recreated it at home for me last December. 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 our best guess for a well-balanced drink.
Add almond milk, rum, chai concentrate, brandy, coffee liqueur, amaretto liqueur, simple syrup, egg white, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a barrel mug over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Ingredients
Directions
Add almond milk, rum, chai concentrate, brandy, coffee liqueur, amaretto liqueur, simple syrup, egg white, bitters, and cubed ice to a shaker.
Shake for 10-20 seconds.
Strain into a barrel mug over fresh cracked ice.
Garnish with grated nutmeg.
Make It a Mocktail: Use Caleño Non-Alcoholic Dark & Spicy Tropical Spirit in place of the rum, Escape Mocktails Non-Alcoholic Cognac Alternative in place of the brandy, Lyre’s Coffee Original Non-Alcoholic Spiritin place of the coffee liqueur, Monin Premium Amaretto Syrup in place of the amaretto liqueur, and All The Bitter Alcohol-Free Aromatic Bitters in place of the aromatic bitters to try a booze-free version of this drink.
Shop Glassware & Tools
Find collections of cocktail glassware and bartending tools we recommend for your home bar in our Amazon shop. Note: The barrel mug shown in this post is the original used at the Miracle bars. Find them from these sellers on eBay.
More Christmas Cocktails
If you like this Christmas-inspired cocktail recipe, here are a few others we’ve tried that you may enjoy:
Mistletoe Martini: A gin cocktail made with dry vermouth, spiced cranberry syrup, cranberry liqueur, cranberries, and rosemary
Mistletoe & Wine: A bourbon and port wine cocktail made with half & half, maple syrup, Amaro Braulio, black walnut bitters, and grated nutmeg
Sleighbell Sling: A gin cocktail made with cranberry juice, lemon juice, cherry liqueur, triple sec, Bénédictine, grenadine, cherry, clove, & cinnamon bitters, soda water, cranberries, and sage leaves
Santa Baby: A sparkling rosé cocktail made with cranberry liqueur and cranberries
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