Alaska Airlines.Photo:Getty
Getty
Alaska Airlines says it has created a coffee that tastes better in the air.
The airline has brewed up a new partnership with the Portland-based Stumptown Coffee, and claims it has created a custom blend that’s resistant to the effects of high altitude onboard a plane that make food and beverages taste different, perCNN.
The release added that Stumptown has created a “blend that’s fit for the skies” using the same “clean and sweet base” as its Holler Mountain blend, “but with a focus on a roast that mellows acidity and introduces just enough toastiness to please a wide range of palates.”
Coffee onboard a plane.Getty
“The custom blend served on flight is an organic coffee roasted deep enough to bring out notes of toasted marshmallow and dark chocolate, while remaining exceptionally smooth and balanced,” the release continued.
Alaska Airlines told CNN that 20 different versions of the coffee were taste-tested during flights and in blind surveys until a perfect blend was found.
“After selecting the coffee, we conducted extensive brewing tests with the Alaska team — on the ground and in the air — to understand how it tasted both below and above the clouds. We also wanted to ensure our roast profile worked with all types of brewing machines on Alaska aircraft," the release added.
Stumptown also revealed that from Oct. 11 its signature blends — Holler Mountain, Hair Bender and Trapper Creek Decaf — will be available in the Alaska Lounges at Portland and JFK airports.
Alaska Airline’s new partnership with Stumptown sees the end of its 10-year partnership withStarbucks. Per CNN, a spokesperson for the airline said it is “grateful to our friends at Starbucks and proud to have served their coffee on board our flights for years.”
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The release added that the coffee is “fit for the skies” as “our taste buds react differently at high altitude.”
According toTIME, food and drink tastes different onboard a flight as the dry air in the cabin tends to suppress our sense of smell, which is important when it comes to how we taste. Low air pressure and loud engine noises also play a factor in passengers’ ability to smell and taste.
source: people.com
