Beer lovers rejoice!
After years of less than stellar offerings (no offense Budweiser) airlines are riding the craft brew wave. According to Travel Pulse’s Paul Thompson, more and more are offering the kind of specialized brews that passengers have come to expect when they’re on the ground. Back in 2011, when he first looked into beer offerings, Thompson found that only two U.S. carriers, Alaska and Virgin America, offered craft beers.
But that’s changing.
Thompson said part of the reason is that the popularity of craft brews has grown, which means production has increased exponentially, making it possible for smaller brewers to produce enough beers to satisfy the needs of a big airline. And as airlines seek to build loyalty among customers (hoping perhaps that you’ll pay a little more if you like them better than the other guy) better beer offerings might curry favor with travelers. The move also dovetails with today’s foodie culture where folks want to know more about where and how their food and beverages are produced.
But even though more airlines are offering better options for beer lovers, not all live up to a true aficionado’s expectations. According to Thompson, using a scoring system developed by the beer-rating site, Beer Advocate, Delta Airlines scores the highest — 73.6 — with offerings that include Blue Moon Belgian White and Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale. Alaska Airlines comes in second with a score of 71.8. Among the Seattle-based carriers offerings are Alaskan Freeride APA and Kona Longboard.
Perhaps this will make up for those delays and cramped seats?
