Cathay Pacific, the airline owned by beverage bottler Swire Pacific, has launched a new beer designed to be consumed at 35,000 feet.
Betsy beer is named after the airline’s first aircraft and is described by Cathay Pacific as the world’s first hand-crafted bottled beer specially brewed to be enjoyed mid-flight. It will be served to first and business class passengers aboard flights between Hong Kong and destinations in the UK – as well as its lounges in both countries – during March and April.
As cabin pressure and altitude affects passengers’ taste buds, Cathay Pacific teamed up with Hong Kong Beer Co to create a beer with the aroma and necessary carbonation to produce the best possible taste both in the air and on the ground.
The inclusion of Dragon Eye fruit is a unique characteristic of the beer, which adds to its rich and distinctive properties. The flavour is enhanced further by the inclusion of honey in the brewing process, giving the beer agreeable floral notes; while the use of Fuggle, a revered hop and mainstay of traditional British craft ales, lends it an earthy and full-bodied flavour.
Cathay Pacific general manager for marketing, loyalty programme and CRM, Julian Lyden, said: “We know that when you fly, your sense of taste changes. Airlines address this for food in certain ways. But nobody has ever tried to improve the taste of beer at altitude. That seemed like a great opportunity for us to help our beer-loving passengers travel well.
“We are constantly looking for innovative and meaningful ways to enhance the travel experience for our customers. To help passengers experience something memorable for the first time is a big part of what we mean by ‘travelling well’. Betsy beer is a great example of this – a beautifully crafted product designed purely with the traveller, and beer lover, in mind.”
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