By Maya Silver | Editor

The signature chai spice medley of cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, fennel, and black pepper has us hooked—particularly when accompanied by caffeine and frothy milk. But how about paired with alcohol and hops?

It seems to have started in 2009 with the Sah’tea. This modern version of a ninth century Finnish ale is part of the Dogfish Head Brewery’s Ancient Ales Program, which recreates brewing recipes from up to 9,000 years ago. This “highly-quaffable” chai beer has an enlivening black tea background and delights the tongue with hints of juniper berries.

It’s no wonder that Coloradoans have caught on to the chai trend—the warming spices of a chai beer make it a perfect après ski beverage. At the 2013 Great American Beer Festival, the Chai Milk Stout earned the Yak & Yeti Brewpub the Silver Award in the Herb and Spice Beers category. And over in Boulder, the Bhakti Chai Brown Ale from Avery Brewing, available on draft only, uses the special Bhakti tea blend infused with freshly-pressed organic ginger and fiery spices.

Apparently, the chai craze has also crossed borders into Canada. Diving even more squarely into Indian flavors, Big Rock Brewery’s Life of Chai Ale incorporates the subtlety of rose petals, the spicy sweetness of cardamom, and zesty ginger notes to create a “party in every sip.” On the dark side Village Brewery delivers the Village Monk Chai Winter Porter—a “jolly, black brew” that dazzles your taste buds with fennel, mint, black pepper, and chocolate, smoothed by luscious caramel.

And for Blue Moon lovers, Pyramid Breweries has conjured up the unfiltered, fusion-inspired Chai Wheat Ale, oozing with caramel, spice, and noble hops, provides a balanced beer-drinking experience that still plays well with a slice of orange.

Chow down on Chai: Chai beer fits naturally with Indian dishes, like curries, jasmine rice, and tikka masala. Chai spices are a perfect complement to many sweets, too. Pair with kheer, a coconut basmati rice pudding, or a slice of cheesecake. For the ultimate in chai desserts, make a chai beer float topped with a scoop of vanilla—or chai!—ice cream.

Edible etymology: “Chai,” or “cha,” is the word for tea in many Asian languages. In Indian, the spice blend used in the tea is called “chai masala.”

Beer Stats

Sah’tea
Brewery: Dogfish Head Brewery
ABV: 9-percent
IBU: 6
{Delaware; dogfish.com}

Chai Milk Stout
Brewery: Yak & Yeti Brewpub
ABV: 5.2-percent
IBU: 26
{Colorado; theyakandyeti.com}

Bhakti Chai Brown Ale
Brewery: Avery Brewing Company
ABV: 5-percent
IBU: 17
{Colorado; averybrewing.com}

Life of Chai Ale
Brewery: Big Rock Brewery
ABV: 5-percent
IBU: 12.5
{Alberta, Canada; bigrockbeer.com}

Village Monk Chai Winter Porter
Brewery: Village Brewery
ABV: 5.2-percent
IBU: 18-20
{Alberta, Canada; villagebrewery.com}

Chai Wheat Ale
Brewery: Pyramid Breweries
ABV: 5.5-percent
IBU: 21
{multiple locations; pyramidbrew.com}