Supermarket Spy: Drinking in the flavors of fall

Chai Baba Chai Black Tea Chai, $5.99 Oliver’s Grocery

Schilling Chaider Hard Cider, $6.99 Whole Foods

Now that’s Oprah’s on the chai bandwagon, with her signature Teavana chai tea served at Starbuck’s, this spicy Indian tea is going mainstream. Typically made with a blend of green cardamom, ginger, black peppercorns, clove, star anise, cinnamon and black tea, chai masala has long been a Northern Indian staple when mixed with milk and honey and served by expert chai wallahs (chai makers) on the street.

In the United States, it’s a challenge to find a not-too-sweet, tickle-your-throat chai. The best: Chai Baba Chai. Made in Sebastopol with a recipe from Bombay, it has just the right amount of strong cardamom, ginger and cinnamon flavor with only a hint of sweet. We love it cold, right from the bottle.

Want something a little harder? The Washington cidery Schilling has created a chai-infused hard cider that’s fall in a bottle. With more depth than pumpkin-spiced ciders, Chaider is our favorite new cider.