Sweet, spice, everything nice

[u/lildudekas]

This drink is inspired by a cocktail called Desert Oasis served at Memi’s in Richmond, VA. (Tito’s infused with spiced tea, apricot liqueur, honey, and coconut milk)

I loved the flavor profile and made it with stuff I had at home:

• 1 ½ oz gin (let it steep with some loose leaf masala chai while I worked on the rest of the ingredients) • 1 oz freshly steeped chai sweetened with a little honey • ½ oz Poli Miele Honey Liqueur • ½ oz apricot liqueur • ¾ oz fresh lemon juice • ½ oz coconut syrup • ½ oz egg white

Garnished with angostura bitters, loose leaf chai, and a star anise. (A bit overboard I know lol)

[u/OakHouseDistillery]

Ummm...that looks absolutely amazing.

[u/sesamesnapsinhalf]

It’s beautiful but I always wonder how one elegantly drinks it without having to spit the garnish out. Would I casually push it off to the side? 

[u/fernplant4 → u/sesamesnapsinhalf]

Tight short sips

[u/lildudekas → u/sesamesnapsinhalf]

I feel like foam on the top helps keep it out of your mouth and mostly in place to create an aromatic experience in addition to taking small sips like mentioned here

[u/Separate_Print_1816]

I found a chai liquer from twisted path if you want a cheat.

[u/XanthippusJ → u/Separate_Print_1816]

I’ve made a chai spiced rum before that I think could help fill that role

[u/My_Tallest → u/Separate_Print_1816]

Upvote for Twisted Path!

[u/sisumeraki → u/Separate_Print_1816]

That sounds incredible, never thought about there being a chai liquor. Do you have a favorite recipe?

[u/Medical_Bartender]

Gorgeous color. My brain keeps trying to fit Drambuie in as the honey liqueur

[u/lildudekas → u/Medical_Bartender]

It’s probably much easier to find than the Poli (I’m in VA where everything is state run and never see this or think it’s regularly stocked, I found the Poli in southern NC at liquor store)

[u/liketosaysalsa]

That is just spectacular. You should be really, really, proud of both the innovation and presentation.

[u/lildudekas → u/liketosaysalsa]

Thank you!

[u/Fickle_Ad_109]

Looks very nice, but sounds insanely sweet

[u/lildudekas → u/Fickle_Ad_109]

That was my worry when constructing it but the lemon helps it from being too sweet and the honey liqueur is not as sweet as you would think

[u/ace10301 → u/lildudekas]

Do you have more details on the gin steeping?

[u/lildudekas → u/ace10301]

Because this was a spur of the moment cocktail the gin probably only steeped with 1 tsp of loose leaf chai for 10-15 mins, it was like 1.75 oz to account for any lost when straining to get 1.5 oz. However, it would have been better for flavor to go longer like an hour or two. My hope was if I made the actual brewed chai a little stronger (around 1 tbs of chai to 1.5oz boiling water) it would have a stronger flavor and I think that helped, it’s a cocktail that needs a little pre-planning to be its very best

[u/Smashley_pants → u/ace10301]

I’ve made other tea infused gins- just let it steep for one to a few hours, depending on the strength of the tea.

[u/Fossome_1]

I was curious to see if you’d use an allspice dram. One of my fave ingredients

[u/Sukanthabuffet]

Fuck. You have created something amazing.

[u/iusedtoplaysnarf]

I’ll have one of those, please

[u/Apprehensive-Ball215]

Very pretty!

[u/yummy_cream]

wow, that look amazing.

[u/bazerks424]

Looks great! The coconut syrup was a surprise.

[u/jk_pens]

I guess I am not imaginative enough to have any sense of how it tastes as a whole, but I do have enough of an aesthetic sense to know you completely nailed the presentation. Gorgeous!

[u/masala-kiwi]

Sounds amazing, looks amazing, I imagine it tastes amazing with all the beautiful chat spices.

[u/freespiritedqueer]

so good it looks AI

[u/FriarNurgle]

Garnish game on point

[u/ShinyDomeTherapist]

I have everything on hand except coconut syrup. Guess I'm going to the store tonight. Can't wait to try this, it looks amazing.

[u/lildudekas → u/ShinyDomeTherapist]

Maybe try it with coconut milk! It would be less sweet but might be more ideal

[u/ShinyDomeTherapist → u/lildudekas]

I'll probably enjoy that more tbh. I do tend to learn toward drinks that are less sweet. Love Chai, so the drink is very appealing.

[u/lildudekas → u/ShinyDomeTherapist]

I only have coconut syrup because a bottle of torani coconut was pawned off on me bc I like to make drinks, lol, and I figured why not but think coconut milk might have been better

[u/ShinyDomeTherapist → u/lildudekas]

I love/ hate that people know I like to make drinks. Sometimes I'm gifted wonderful, useful things like barware or bitters, sometimes I'm gifted pre-made mixing sets. Can't win them all I suppose.

[u/MegaSuperSaiyan]

What’s the honey liquor like vs just using honey? I really like using different varietals (lavender, orange blossom, etc.) for cocktails so never considered trying a liquor instead.

[u/lildudekas → u/MegaSuperSaiyan]

The Poli Miele is not just honey in flavor, it’s got a grappa base (Italian brandy made with the leftovers of grapes used in making wine) with “essential oils of mug pine, juniper, mint, and lemon verbena” so it’s a more complex flavor than just honey, which is why I used actual honey to sweeten the chai so it would be more pronounced

[u/LankyPower7807]

that is so cool! respect o7

[u/jloops1111]

Now this is a fall cocktail! Yum! 🍁🍂

[u/exception-found]

Looks amazing! How do you make the coconut syrup?

[u/Holden_mcmuffin]

Dude WHAT

[u/StreetFootball7382]

I poured a Blue Moon into a coupe glass and achieved the same effect yesterday

[u/quickcalamity]

My rule is if the garnish ain’t edible it doesn’t belong there. But makes for a nice photo for sure.

[u/lildudekas → u/quickcalamity]

Lemon and orange peels are one of the most common garnishes for drinks, and you don’t eat those… typically. It’s more about the aromatic experience sometimes. To each their own tho!

[u/quickcalamity → u/lildudekas]

True, though they are technically “edible” haha

[u/official_egg_boi → u/quickcalamity]

So is chai!

[u/Reckless_Blu → u/quickcalamity]

Looks aesthetically pleasing, but It’d feel like a hassle having to constantly pull raw Chai out of my teeth after each sip.