Cathay Pacific has relaunched its bespoke inflight craft beer, Betsy Beer, with a refined recipe designed specifically to complement the altered taste perception experienced by airline passengers at altitude.
Originally introduced in February 2017, Betsy Beer—a 4.2% pale ale—has returned to the skies with a reformulated brew developed through a combination of traditional brewing techniques and scientific research. The beverage aims to enhance the travel experience by aligning with the airline’s brand philosophy of “a life well travelled.”
The beer is named after “Betsy,” Cathay Pacific’s first aircraft—a Douglas DC-3 that operated across the region during the 1940s and 1950s. Touted by the brewery as the world’s first handcrafted beer created specifically for inflight consumption, Betsy Beer has been engineered to overcome the palate-dulling effects of altitude and cabin pressure.
Initially available exclusively to first and business class passengers on Cathay Pacific flights between Hong Kong and UK destinations—including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester—the beer will also be served in the airline’s lounges at Hong Kong International Airport and Heathrow, as well as at a number of Swire-operated restaurants in Hong Kong. Retail sales will be offered online via Deli Delight within Hong Kong for a limited time.
A spokesperson for the brewery emphasized that Betsy Beer features a recipe carefully tailored to maintain flavor integrity at 35,000 feet. The beer incorporates a blend of ingredients sourced from both Hong Kong and the UK. Notably, it includes Dragon Eye fruit—known for its aromatic complexity—along with honey harvested from Hong Kong’s New Territories, which imparts a floral character. The use of Fuggle hops provides a distinctive earthy and full-bodied profile.
“We understand that altitude can suppress the sense of taste, so this beer was crafted to deliver aroma and carbonation that works well both in the air and on the ground,” the brewery stated.
Cathay Pacific’s General Manager of Marketing, Loyalty Programme and CRM, Julian Lyden, noted the innovative potential of designing a beer specifically for flight. “We know that when you fly, your sense of taste changes. While airlines often compensate for this with food, no one had attempted to improve beer for the inflight environment. This was an opportunity to offer our beer-loving passengers a unique experience,” Lyden said.
He added, “We are constantly looking for meaningful innovations to elevate the travel experience. Betsy Beer embodies our commitment to helping passengers ‘travel well’—a thoughtfully crafted product with the traveller and beer enthusiast in mind.”
The development process included extensive input from a tasting panel comprising key figures from Hong Kong’s food and beverage scene. The panel featured Toby Cooper and Thomas Lau of the Hong Kong Craft Beer Association, award-winning chef May Chow, Swire Restaurants General Manager Willem van Emden, and representatives from Cathay Pacific’s management, cabin crew, and the airline’s Marco Polo Club.
Betsy Beer’s reintroduction reflects a broader trend among airlines to enhance customer experience through tailored, sensory-conscious offerings, reinforcing Cathay Pacific’s position at the forefront of inflight innovation.
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