Technology advancements have given us 3-D TVs, virtual tradeshows and smartphones with electronic personal assistants, but it’s a shame that this magazine does not have an interactive smell component this month. If this issue of Beverage Industry were equipped with even a scratch-and-sniff sticker, the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery Plant Focus article on page 37 would smell like chai tea.

Yes, the brewery smelled like a mixture of tea, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and pepper — not beer — because when Beverage Industry visited the Milton, Del., brewery, Dogfish Head was working on its Ancient Ale variety Sah’tea. Slated for release this month, Sah’tea contains rye, juniper and black chai tea and, in accordance with the 9th century Finnish recipe on which it’s based, uses white-hot river rocks to boil the mixture during brewing. Sam Calagione, founder and president of the brewery, admits that he’s proud of Dogfish Head’s place in the industry and its continual growth, but that the aromatic smell of spiced tea in the brewery is particularly special to him.