Hey Asheville, Audra here. 👋 To kick off your week we are going to talk about iced chai (a.k.a the ultimate summer drink). As a former barista I take the art of coffee + tea very seriously. Which is easy to do in a coffee-crazed town like Asheville.

Currently I have been on a chai craze, and by that I mean vigorously searching for my favorite iced chai latte. While making a hot chai latte is pretty simple, the art of making this sweet, spicy + milky tea beverage cold takes talent.

Last week, we asked you on Instagram and Facebook to tell me where you get your favorite chai in Asheville. Then, we visited the top 8 picks + tried each drink to bring you the ultimate guide to Asheville's iced chais.

So here you have it, the people’s choice most popular iced chai lattes in Asheville.

See the list here. Bonus: Read the end, and vote your favorite from the list.

High Five Coffee | 📍190 Broadway St.

☕Tea from Dobra + spices from Spicewalla | 💰 $4 (16oz) | Choose your milk preference | ⭐ NOTES: Very strong spice flavors. For those who enjoy a spicy chai this is the one to try.

Ultra Coffeebar | 📍242 Clingman Ave. Extension

☕Rishi Chai | 💰$3.50 (16oz) | Choose your milk preference | ⭐NOTES: Along with Trade and Lore, this iced chai latte has the best balance of sweet, spice + creamy. Rishi Chai has specific spice notes that stand out providing the perfect edge.

Trade and Lore | 📍37 Wall St.

☕Made in house | 💰$5 (16oz) | Choose your milk preference | ⭐NOTES: This chai has stolen my heart. They use agave in their mixture and the balance of sweet + spice is pure perfection.

10th Muse Coffee | 📍8 London Rd.

☕AppalaChai | 💰$4.65 (20oz) | Choose your milk preference and either banana, caramel or coconut flavorings | ⭐NOTES: This is without a doubt a very unique take on chai. Ordering the caramel chai is something I’d definitely do again.

The Rhu | 📍10 S Lexington Ave.

☕Made in house | 💰$4.50 (16oz) | Choose your milk preference | ⭐NOTES: This chai is very similar to High Five’s. The spice is very strong + very good.

Dobra Tea | 📍78 N Lexington Ave.

☕Made in house | 💰$4.50 (16oz) | Choose your milk preference | ⭐NOTES: Iced chai at Dobra is very traditional. Simple, spicy + a splash of milk and this is my go to when I am needing something not quite as sweet.

Forage (Flora Asheville) | 📍428 Haywood Rd.

☕AppalaChai |💰$4 (16oz) | Choose your milk preference | ⭐NOTES: I always find myself satisfied with AppalaChai – the signature chai flavor here. It’s more spice than sweetness, simple + refreshing.

Summit Coffee Co. | 📍4 Foundy St.

☕AppalaChai | 💰$5 (16oz) | Choose your milk preference | | ⭐NOTES: This iced chai is very similar to Forage’s. The classic Appalachia is lightly sweet with a kick of spice.

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Having that perfect balance of spice, sweetness + milkiness is everything. We can’t wait to announce the winner of the “best chai contest” later this week.

And, maybe you swear by one that wasn’t included on this list. Let us know by adding it to our Instagram and Facebook posts where we asked our readers to weigh in.

Happy Monday!!

–Audra