🍵 Masala Chai Sour

Whisky, masala chai-infused syrup, lemon juice & egg white foam

Bourbon / Scotch
15 min
Dry Shake + Shake
Coupe
~19%
Ingredients
  • 60ml (2 oz) bourbon (or Scotch — see variations)
  • 30ml (1 oz) fresh lemon juice
  • 20ml (¾ oz) masala chai syrup (see tips)
  • 1 egg white (or 30ml aquafaba for vegan)
  • 3 dashes Angostura bitters
  • Cinnamon stick for microplane garnish
Method
  1. 1
    Dry shakeCombine bourbon, lemon juice, masala chai syrup, and egg white in a shaker WITHOUT ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds — this emulsifies the egg white into a froth.
  2. 2
    Add iceAdd ice to the shaker.
  3. 3
    ShakeShake hard again for 15 seconds until the outside of the shaker is very cold.
  4. 4
    StrainFine-strain through a Hawthorne + mesh strainer into a pre-chilled coupe.
  5. 5
    GarnishMicroplane a cinnamon stick directly over the foam to create a cinnamon dust. Add 3 drops of Angostura bitters on the foam. Serve immediately.

About This Cocktail

The Whisky Sour is a 19th-century American classic. Indian bartenders began creating masala chai variations around 2015–2018, infusing simple syrup with cardamom, ginger, cinnamon, and black tea. The drink gained wide attention when Indian-origin bartenders at London and NYC craft cocktail bars entered it in international competitions. The dry-shake technique — shaking without ice first — builds the meringue-like foam that makes a proper sour. The cinnamon garnish dusted on that foam is the finishing touch.

Variations

Punjabi CampfireUse a peated Scotch (Laphroaig, Ardbeg) — smoky + masala chai is extraordinary. This is what Indian whisky bars serve to impress
Amaretto Chai SourReplace 30ml whisky with 30ml Disaronno Amaretto — less boozy, dessert-forward, more approachable
Kashmiri SourAdd a barspoon of Kashmiri saffron-infused honey to the masala chai syrup
Bartender Tips

Masala chai syrup: in a small saucepan combine 200ml water + 200ml sugar + 3 Irish Breakfast tea bags + 3 crushed cardamom pods + 1 cinnamon stick + 3 slices fresh ginger + 2 cloves. Bring to boil, remove from heat, steep 25 minutes. Strain and cool. Keeps 2 weeks refrigerated — it's worth making a batch. Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) produces virtually identical foam to egg white and is entirely vegan.

The Specs
Spirit Base
Bourbon / Scotch
Method
Dry Shake + Shake
Glass
Coupe
ABV
~19%
Where to Find It
Restaurants
Competition-circuit cocktail bars; featured at Dishoom (London), Gymkhana (London), Tamarind (London), and Indian-origin bartender menus globally
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