☕ Dirty Chai-Tini

Rum, chai spice, fresh espresso, heavy cream & cardamom — Hidden Flask NJ

Dark Rum
8 min
Dry Shake
Martini Glass
~16%
Hidden Flask
Ingredients
  • 45ml dark rum (Old Monk or Mount Gay)
  • 30ml freshly pulled espresso (or very strong cold brew)
  • 20ml chai spice syrup (steep 1 tsp chai masala in 100ml simple syrup for 30 min, strain)
  • 15ml fresh lemon juice (small amount — brightens the coffee)
  • 25ml aquafaba or 1 egg white
  • 15ml heavy cream — to float on top
  • Ice
  • 3 coffee beans & cardamom pinch to garnish
Method
  1. 1
    Dry shakeCombine rum, espresso, chai syrup, lemon juice, and aquafaba in a shaker WITHOUT ice. Shake vigorously 15 seconds for foam.
  2. 2
    Wet shakeAdd ice. Shake hard 15 seconds more.
  3. 3
    StrainDouble-strain into a chilled martini glass.
  4. 4
    Float creamPour heavy cream over the back of a bar spoon very slowly — it should float as a white layer over the dark espresso foam.
  5. 5
    GarnishPlace 3 coffee beans on the cream. Dust lightly with cardamom powder.

About This Cocktail

The Espresso Martini (created by Dick Bradsell at the Soho Brasserie in 1983) is one of the most popular cocktails of the past decade. Hidden Flask's Dirty Chai-Tini takes the format and moves it to an Indian context: rum (whose natural vanilla-molasses notes connect it to chai spice) replaces vodka, chai spice syrup replaces simple syrup, and a heavy cream float replaces the standard coffee bean garnish. The result is a drink that tastes like the best chai latte you have ever had, with a rum base that makes it genuinely cocktail rather than just flavoured coffee.

Variations

Vodka VersionReplace rum with vodka for a cleaner, less rich chai espresso martini — closer to the original format
Irish Dirty ChaiReplace rum with Irish whiskey (Jameson) — the light, slightly sweet Irish spirit + chai + espresso is a compelling combination
Without CreamSkip the cream float — a lighter, more coffee-forward drink that is closer to the original Espresso Martini structure
Bartender Tips

The freshest possible espresso is key here — pre-made espresso loses its crema rapidly and the cocktail needs the foam that crema provides. If using cold brew, concentrate it by reducing by 30%. The chai spice syrup can be made in large batches and keeps refrigerated for 3 weeks. The cream float should be thick enough to sit on the espresso foam for at least 2–3 minutes — use cold heavy cream, pour slowly.

Source Restaurant
Restaurant
Hidden Flask, Woodbridge, New Jersey
Spirit
Dark Rum
Method
Dry Shake + Shake
ABV
~16%
Rum Guide All 69 Indian Cocktails Indian Mocktails (87) Cocktails A–Z
Where to drink this
Restaurant
Hidden Flask
Address
Woodbridge, New Jersey
Style
Indian-American craft cocktail bar
Accolades
NJ's most inventive Indian-American cocktail programme

Hidden Flask in Woodbridge, NJ, is the Indian-American cocktail bar New Jersey didn't know it needed. The menu walks the line between the subcontinent and the American bar tradition — chai martinis, masala old fashioneds, and house spice-infused spirits that taste like they were invented by someone who grew up with both Old Monk and Jim Beam in the house.

Visit hiddenflasknj.com