If you actually want coffee in your chai latte, you have to ask for something specific. It’s called a dirty chai. Yes, that’s the real name. Sounds like a gossipy tea, I know.
A dirty chai is a regular chai latte with a shot (or two) of espresso dumped in. It’s the best of both worlds: the cozy spices meet the bitter, jittery kick of caffeine.
So if your chai latte tastes dirtier than usual—like, you feel a slight tremor in your left eye—check your receipt. You might have accidentally ordered the naughty version.
Why Do We Even Ask This Question?
Let’s be real: most of us are running on 4 hours of sleep and a vague wish for energy. We see “latte” and our brains scream, “COFFEE!” It’s an automatic reflex, like flinching when someone says “monthly report.”
Plus, the color is a dead giveaway. A chai latte is usually a warm, tan-orange shade. Coffee-based lattes are darker, like mud after a rainstorm. But in a dimly lit café at 7 a.m., who’s checking color swatches? Not me. I’m just trying to function.
Fun fact: Some coffee shops sell “chai tea lattes.” That’s like saying “ATM machine.” Chai already means tea. But we love redundancy almost as much as caffeine.
Creating a Spiced Chai Latte: A Coffee Alternative - Sudden Coffee
