Pumpkin Chai

Pumpkin chai is the blend we bring out when the markets turn cold and the tents start going up in the dark. It is a masala chai first, black tea simmered with ginger, green cardamom, cloves, and Ceylon cinnamon, with nutmeg pushed forward so the cup lands somewhere between a tea stall and a pie cooling on the counter. There is no pumpkin in it and no candy sweetness. The pumpkin is the spice, the way it is in the pie. Brew it on the stovetop with milk for a thick, warming cup on a wet Portland morning, or double the strength and froth the milk for a pumpkin chai latte that does not need a syrup pump. It is spicy, rich, and malty, and it takes a little sweetener well. We blend it fresh in small batches in Portland from our own chai recipe, so the nutmeg and cinnamon stay aromatic in the tin rather than fading to dust. Blend: black tea, ginger, green cardamom, cloves, Ceylon cinnamon, nutmeg. No sugar, no preservatives, no flavorings. Vegan. The black-tea base carries caffeine. See all our loose leaf chai blends How do I brew it? Use one teaspoon per eight ounces of water in a pan. Bring it to a rolling boil for two to three minutes. Add milk at a ratio of one part milk to three parts water, then boil for another two minutes. Strain, sweeten to taste, and serve. Does it taste like pumpkin? No. It tastes like pumpkin pie spice: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger over a strong black tea. There is no pumpkin, no flavoring, and no sugar in the tin. How do I make a pumpkin chai latte? Brew it double-strength with a heaping teaspoon, follow the stovetop steps, then top with frothed milk and a little maple syrup or brown sugar. A pinch of extra nutmeg on the foam is the whole coffee-shop trick. Is it caffeinated? Yes. It sits on a black-tea base, so expect a moderate lift, close to a strong cup of tea.