Like espresso, chai can become a habit. One St. Paul, Minn., operation finds that customers drive across town for their periodic fix. Nondairy variations use soy, almond or rice milk. The cafe goes through about two gallons of concentrate a week. As chai's popularity grows, so does the number of mixes.
Some brands are sweeter, others spicier or more peppery.
A Portland, Ore.-based maker even offers an organic version sweetened with agave nectar and honey. Cahoots also serves individually brewed iced green, jasmine and herbal teas. Another alternative is green-tea latte, flavored with almond, honey, vanilla bean, ginger, ginseng and spices and served with foamed milk. Starbucks' newest offering for the summer is Tiazzi, a handcrafted tea version of their popular Frappuccino. The drink blends fruit juice with black tea and ice.