Iced Dirty Chai using Elevate Coffee

I’ve loved chai since before I was at a socially acceptable age to even know what it was. If you’ve read my blog post on my coconut iced coffee, you know I have a shameful history with free samples and that just happens to be how my chai addiction started. I was maybe 10 or 12 years old when I went with my grandparents to this little town on a weekend getaway. I remember there being fancy shops and it was quaint enough that I was allowed to wander a slight bit. I got permission to go to shop next door and I quickly discovered that they were offering free samples of something called chai. It wasn’t authentic chai tea, it was a chai tea latte made from a powdered mix and it was delicious. I “tried” way to many of these samples before my grandparents came and were awesome enough to buy me a bag of the mix.

Over the years, I tried various chai tea lattes at coffee houses and some homemade, but none ever compared to the chai I had gotten at that little shop. By now, I had forgotten the brand of the mix and I was more into drinking coffee at home instead of tea, although I have to say I was elated when I found out about the drink “dirty chai” which is where you put a shot or two of espresso in a chai tea latte. I had some amazing ones and some I wasn’t quite as enthusiastic about, but I didn’t get my mind blown until I walked into a Smokey Row coffee house on a vacation in Pella, IA. The minute I walked in, my eyes locked on the familiar shiny purple bag in front of me. This was the chai pf my childhood (okay I cant resist it anymore- “chaildhood”)

I got a raspberry “VooDoo Chai” and then I floated around in a magical haze of caffeine and sugar. That was the best dirty chai I have ever had and in my life, and of course, I bought a bag of the magic chai mix to take home.

I haven’t been able to create the absolute perfection of Smokey Row, but this attempt was still pretty tasty. I have tried versions where I use espresso, but for this pre-workout drink, I use my Smart Coffee by Elevacity. I have a whole blog post about this coffee if you want to read about my run faster, jump higher caffeinated supplement.

After blending it together, I was surprised by how much I could taste the chai. I always struggle to get the ratio right but I think this one was a pretty good try. Maybe next time I’ll add a little bit of raspberry syrup and see how it goes.

Iced Dirty Chai

• 1 1/2 c. unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 3 Tbsp. powdered chai mix
• 1 scoop Elevacity coffee
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• additional sweetener (optional)
• ice

Microwave half the milk and add the warm milk to a blender along with the chai powder and the Elevate coffee powder. Blend on high for one minute. Add the rest of the cold milk along with the vanilla and sweetener and blend for another minute. Pour the drink over ice and enjoy your coffeehouse creation.