Black Cow Chai award-winning recipe | Chai Championship '16

Chief Mixologist Krisi wowed the judges with this winning recipe. Cheered on by her fellow Teabirds, she battled it out against the UK's top baristas in London at the 2016 T2 Chai Championship!

The UK's first Sticky Chai is now available - the most authentic, natural chai mix this side of Mumbai! It's hand blended in small batches in Chief Mixologist Krisi's kitchen.

 Chai Ingredients:

• T2 Spi Chai
• T2 Just Cinnamon
• Rooibos tea
• 4 slices fresh ginger
• 4 cinnamon sticks  

Candied ginger ingredients:

• Chai concentrate (that you have just made using the above!)
• 10 slices fresh ginger
• 400g caster sugar
• Ground ginger

1. Brew all chai ingredients with 800ml boiling water for at least 8 mins - you can do this on the stove, in a teapot or any loose leaf brewing method.

2. Place your slices of ginger in a saucepan on a medium heat with 400ml of your freshly brewed chai. Simmer for 30 mins, stirring regularly until the ginger is tender.

3. Once tender, add your sugar and bring to the boil, still stirring regularly.

4. Once boiling, reduce heat a little and continually stir until the liquid reduces and gets thicker and syrup-y! This should take about 15 mins.

5. Once your liquid is syrup-y, decant most into a cup or glass and leave approx. 50ml in the pan with your ginger and return the pan to the heat.

6. Keep stirring as the ginger gets coated in the crystallised chai.

7. Once the pan is dry, take off the heat and remove the ginger pieces to dry on a piece of tin foil or baking parchment.

8. Don't wash up your pan just yet, as you can scrape off the remaining crystallised chai to create a garnish rim for your glass! Do this by putting a generous sprinkling of crystallised chai with ground ginger onto a saucer or plate. Coat the rims of two glass tumblers with a little lemon juice before turning over and placing onto the saucer, so that the sugar sticks to the glass.

9. Next put three cubes of ice into each of your glasses, add 35ml of your chai concentrate, 35ml of your chai syrup and 35ml of premium vodka - I used Black Cow's Milk Vodka.

10. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, some of your crystallised ginger and edible flowers.   

If you like the look of our chais below, you'll love the rest of the blends we've got! Check them out in our chai tea category.