Announced to much fanfare in October 2018, BrewDog Airlines made its maiden flight on 21 February 2019, taking more than 200 beer fans from London Stansted to Columbus Ohio. Accompanied by BrewDog staff, invited journalists and 10 lucky competition winners, Equity Punks paid £1,250 for their flights, accommodation at The DogHouse Hotel and several beer-related excursions.
On board the Boeing 767 flight to Ohio, passengers were served Flight Club, a 4.5% IPA brewed specifically for the flight and ideal for drinking when the senses have been dulled by the altitude.
Explaining the rationale for the new beer, BrewDog co-founder James Watt said:
We’ve had enough of being served mediocre, lifeless beer on flights so we decided to show the rest of the world how it should be done. You shouldn’t have to settle for substandard beer just because you’re at 35,000 ft in the air.
The flight wasn’t without issues though: with about 2 hours of the 8.5-hour flight left, the captain had to close the toilets because the tanks were full, something he hadn’t experienced in 25 years as a pilot.
The DogHouse Hotel had some beery treats to reward travellers for their bladder-bursting experience: rooms come with a Punk IPA tap; a ‘shower beer’ fridge in the bathroom; and what BrewDog calls the ‘World’s Best Minibar’.
BrewDog says that, ‘plans are currently underway for future BrewDog Airlines flights’. So if you fancy a booze-cruise at 35,000 ft keep an eye on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts for future announcements.
If you’d like to get a better idea of what the trip was like, check out this video from Brad Evans of The Craft Beer Channel.
Flying high on BrewDog Airlines! | The Craft Beer Channel
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