I Tried Kendall Jenner’s Chaitini Recipe With 818 Tequila

Call me basic, but I’m a proud espresso martini fan. This year’s trendiest cocktail is the perfect balance of smoky and sweet, and whether you’re getting ready to head out on the town or hoping for a second wind mid-GNO, the burst of caffeine is always welcome. Ahead of the new year, Kendall Jenner made a case for a new it girl martini by sharing her chaitini recipe on TikTok — and after trying it myself, it’s giving 2024 main character energy.

Like all of her other cocktails, Kendall Jenner’s Dirty Chai Martini recipe swaps out your liquor of choice for her 818 Tequila — in this case, the brand’s tequila reposado. IMO, chai has the perfect holiday combo of flavors with cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, so it was fitting that the 28-year-old model decided to get festive by whipping up a boozy dirty chai in a Dec. 8 TikTok, calling it “one of [her] favorites.”

The 818 Tequila founder’s OG espresso martini recipe was so good that it convinced me to start swapping out the vodka for tequila, so I decided to put her Chaitini recipe to the test.

For The Martini, You’ll Need:

• 3 oz 818 Tequila Reposado
• 0.25 oz Agave
• 1/3 cup brewed chai tea, cooled
• 1/3 cup coffee or espresso, cooled
• 1 oz milk or milk substitute (oat or coconut milk, but I used regular 2%)
• Cocoa powder, unsweetened, (garnish)

Whip Up These Ingredients For The Spiced Whip Topping With A Hand Mixer:

• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar

To start, I brewed some espresso and chai tea, and put them in the fridge to cool for about an hour. Meanwhile, I made my spiced whipped topping, combining all the ingredients and whipping them together using an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks formed. I set that aside, added some ice to my cocktail shaker, poured all the cocktail ingredients inside (minus the cocoa powder), and then shook the shaker until it was ice cold.

To serve my dirty chai martini, I strained it into a cocktail coupe glass, topped with the spiced whip (which had a consistency more like stiff dollops of whipped cream than foam), then dusted with a generous helping of cocoa powder.

Kendall Jenner’s Chaitini Is Going To Be On Repeat All Winter Long

I made this cocktail to sip on while online shopping and gossiping around the Christmas tree with my mom and sister, and it was a huge hit, which was surprising considering they’re both whiskey fans and don’t really like sweet cocktails. The main character was the chai tea, which made the cocktail taste festive and fresh, cutting through some of the richness and sweetness of the froth. The espresso was more of a supporting actor in the background, flavor-wise, but I enjoyed the caffeine buzz while sipping on the cocktail.

Rather than the layer of froth I typically get with an espresso martini, the thick whipped topping was chunkier — and sweeter — than I expected, but we all agreed that it was needed. The combination of cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon was comforting and festive, and enhanced the chai tea flavor of the base.

When I make Kendall’s Dirty Chai Martini recipe again for New Year’s (and TBH, all winter long), I’ll probably cut down the confectioners’ sugar to one tablespoon, not whip the topping for as long, and add a decorative star anise to make a picture-perfect Chaitini.