Cathay Pacific has relaunched Betsy Beer, its very own locally brewed craft beer, with a new look and a new flavour.
The latest version of the craft beer is now available in all cabins on all long-haul flights. Bottled beer is served in first class and business class, while canned beer is available in premium economy and economy class.
The eligible long-haul destinations include Adelaide, Auckland, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Boston, Brisbane, Brussels, Cairns, Chicago, Dubai, Dublin, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, London (Gatwick), London (Heathrow), Los Angeles, Madrid, Male, Manchester, Melbourne, Milan, New York (JFK), New York (Newark), Paris, Rome, San Francisco, Seattle, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Toronto, Vancouver, Washington DC and Zurich.
Guests visiting Cathay Pacific’s lounges at Hong Kong International Airport can also enjoy a bottle before they board their flights.
The new Betsy Beer is a citrus-forward pale ale, created in partnership with local Hong Kong brewery Gweilo Beer. The beer is brewed from a “predominantly unroasted” malted barley base together with some slightly roasted barley to “give a sweet, malty profile with hints of bread, biscuits and toffee”.
Locally sourced orange peel is also added in the boil to help further form the flavour. The beer is then fermented using Gweilo’s house ale yeast, after which it is dry hopped with a blend of citrus and orange-forward hops to complete the aroma and flavour profile.
Cathay Pacific first rolled out Betsy Beer in February 2017 for first and business class passengers on flights between Hong Kong and the UK. The beer was named after “Betsy”, the airline’s first aircraft – a Douglas DC-3 that flew passengers around the region in the 1940s and 1950s.
“Betsy Beer was incredibly popular with customers when we originally launched it over two years ago, and we’re thrilled to offer this specially created Hong Kong-made beer once again,” said Vivian Lo, Cathay Pacific general manager customer experience and design.
“Whether you’re a newcomer to craft beer or a passionate enthusiast, Betsy Beer has something for everyone. Its character is both distinctly Cathay Pacific and distinctly Hong Kong, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to the diverse options served as part of our inflight culinary experience.”
Cathay Pacific introduced a new “Hong Kong Flavours” menu in January this year. The airline has also teased a brand new economy class dining collaboration soon.