Cathay Pacific’s alcohol for altitude - ‘Betsy’ Beer designed for 35,000ft
Cathay Pacific has launched a beer that has been specially formulated for in-flight consumption.
Named after Cathay Pacific’s first aircraft, a Douglas DC-3 which flew in the 1940s and 1950s, and in collaboration with Hong Kong Beer Co, Betsy Beer will be served to First and Business Class passengers on flights between Hong Kong and the UK (Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester) from 1 March until 30 April 2017.
As many people know, the cabin pressure on board a soaring aircraft represses passengers’ tastebuds. Most notably, our perception of saltiness and sweetness drops by up to 30%. Sour, bitter and spicy flavours are almost unaffected, however.
Meet ‘Betsy’, Cathay Pacific’s new in-flight beer
Cathay claims to have found a way to overcome these taste hurdles. Betsy Beer is developed via a rigorous process using specially-sourced ingredients from Kong Hong and the UK (Betsy's debut destinations), and with increased carbonation, 10% higher than for a sea-level beer (higher CO2 levels are known to stimulate flavour receptors on the tongue, increasing taste at altitude).
Ingredients of the "ultimate travellers' beer" include Dragon Eye fruit – a uniquely aromatic fruit, similar to a lychee, that helps give the beer a rich, textural property. This flavour is enhanced by the addition of New Territories'-sourced honey in the brewing process, giving the beer lighter floral notes. Additionally, the use of Fuggle hop, a revered mainstay of traditional British craft ales, lends it a pleasingly earthy and full-bodied flavour.
Meet ‘Betsy’, Cathay Pacific’s new in-flight beer As a wheat beer, Betsy Beer retains flavour with a reduced bitterness that many other beers have at altitude. It is also unfiltered and a source of Vitamin B, which is well-known for its restorative properties, Betsy Beer will also be available in the airline’s lounges in Hong Kong and Heathrow as well as at a select number of Swire-owned restaurants in Hong Kong for a limited time.
