Between cafecitos and coladas, Miami is not a tea town. If you are one of the few that doesn't partake in coffee drinking, the Magic City can make you feel a little lonely.
Thankfully, once again, Oprah has come to the rescue to grace us with enlightenment. She has teamed up with Starbucks and Teavana's "teaologist" to craft a perfect chai available at both places.
See also: Starbucks on 167th Street: The Best Designed Drive-Thru and Walk-Up, but Nowhere to Hang Out
Chai is not new to Starbucks, although their classic chai tea latte has always been too sweet. We normally have to hit the loose leaf tea bag options or attempt to jazz up the black iced tea.
Well, there is a new option in town, as of Tuesday, you can order an Oprah Chai Tea Latte hot or iced and it is spectacular just the way it is. It is priced .30 cents above ($4.45 for a grande) the classic chai, perhaps to offset the .25 cents per cup that is donated to the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy Foundation.
However, with one sip, it is clear that it is worth the price hike over the classic. It is bold and spicy with just a hint of sweetness. According to Starbucks, the "Aha moment" of creating the blend came after months of research and a final three hours of blending, where Oprah asked them to spice it up with with more pepper and ginger.
The blend consists of black and rooibos tea mixed with cinnamon, ginger, carob pieces, black pepper, chicory root, cardamom, and cloves. It was definitely a kicked-up chai that was mellowed down with milk in the latte versions.
What does Oprah know about chai? Well, earlier this week on Super Soul Sunday on OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network), we heard her declare that steeping tea is her morning ritual. She also has a tea house on one of her properties, which totally counts.
In fact, along with your warm beverage, you may just get an Oprah Winfrey quote as a sleeve on your cup to serve you in multiple ways. Ours read, "You are not here to shrink down to less, but to blossom into more of who you really are." The back of the sleeve invites you to "Steep your soul" and take a few minutes of "Steep time" to pause and reflect on your day.
We know it is corny and it is was embarrassing to order an "Oprah chai" but we won't shrink down, it was a surprisingly good cup of chai.
Follow Carina on Twitter @CarinaOst
Follow Short Order on Facebook, on Twitter @Short_Order, and Instagram @ShortOrder.
