Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

British Airways Unveils Gin Engineered for High-Altitude Cocktails

Mike Richard
By
in flight drink airplane
Ruben Earth/Getty Images

A decent cocktail might be the only thing that makes air travel tolerable these days, but thanks to a dulling of our taste buds at high altitudes, even a premium gin or bourbon can taste surprisingly bland. British Airways is working to solve that problem with an exclusive, high-potency gin designed to bring the sexy back to mid-flight G&Ts.

The British airline recently teamed up with makers at Edinburgh’s Pickering’s Gin to engineer a unique 10-botanical blend. The goal for the new Pickering’s British Airways Centenary Gin was to develop a flavor profile that eliminated so-called airplane “taste blindness” — one that worked equally well at high altitudes and on the ground. After numerous rounds of taste testing, they discovered lemon myrtle was vital to the recipe, adding the perfect amount of bold citrus and sweet. The blend also includes juniper, rose petals, and Scottish heather, plus some of Pickering’s signature botanicals like lemon, lime, cardamom, and cinnamon.

Related Videos
Pickering's Gin British Airways Centenary Gift Pack
Pickering's Gin

Science has revealed all the awful things that happen to the human body when flying, especially on long-haul flights. We get gassy, our skin takes a beating, and oxygen deprivation makes us tired. Plus, a Lufthansa study proved that our sense of taste dulls at higher altitudes with sweet and salty sensitivity dropping by up to 30%. Dry air, low pressure, plastic cups, and even the constant background roar of a jet engine can affect how we perceive taste. It’s a problem that most air travelers aren’t aware of, but it can make notoriously lackluster airline food (and the drinks that complement it) seem to taste even worse than it already does.

Related

Thankfully, airlines have known about the issue for years, and have been quietly working to combat it. In 2017, Cathay Pacific partnered with Hong Kong Beer Co. to create Betsy, the world’s first high-altitude beer. To bolster the flavor, the makers carbonated the beer 10% higher than average and added Dragon Eye fruit from Hong Kong and English Fuggle hops.

The Pickering’s British Airways Centenary Gin is now available aboard all of the airline’s economy flights under four hours. It’ll be served as the go-to premium gin and tonic with Schweppes 1783 and a lemon wedge over ice. Passengers can also purchase it as part of a limited-edition gin flight gift pack on board all of the airline’s non-EU and long-haul flights.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
St. Patrick’s Day drinks taste better at these great U.S. venues
The best places to celebrate St. Patrick's Day in the U.S.
Casey's Irish Pub

With St. Patrick's Day looming, it's high time we get ourselves ready for the day-long celebration. That could mean anything from throwing on your favorite green shirt and chowing down on some soda bread to planning a trip to fine imbibing establishment. Chances are good that it will involve some tasty St. Patrick's Day drinks and they tend to taste better in the most festive spots.

If you do decide to head out for the holiday, there are some prime options. What makes a great St. Patrick's Day venue? Well, some Irish authenticity helps. That, and a great bar that's comfortable and convivial and serving up all of your favorite holiday drinks, like red ales and Irish whisky. We can't all get out to Dublin, but we can do the next best thing right here at home.

Read more
Warm up with these 10 stellar Tiki cocktails
From tropical fruit to vibrant colors, these delicious Tiki drinks will knock your socks off
mai tai

Tiki culture is a wealth of riches, not to mention elaborate drinks. For the out of touch, it's mere escapism, a way to feel like you're somewhere warm and cozy. But for those in the know, Tiki is an art form, a genre, an entire culture.

It all began in the South Pacific and gradually spread to famous hotel bars and, ultimately, the best recipe books. Yes, it's a vacation in a glass, and that glass might just be a pineapple, coconut husk, shared bowl, or Tiki mug, but it's also a category of some of the most interesting drinks on the planet (with a devout following, we might add).

Read more
This is how to mix cocktails with honey for a flavorful drink
Honey is a great way to add a little sweetness and texture to a cocktail. Here's how to mix with the stuff.
Buckwheat Honey Old Fashioned on table.

Like tasty maple syrup or demerara, honey is a great cocktail ingredient that can impart flavor and sweetness. With much more character than, say, simple syrup, honey can improve drinks across the board, from a steaming Hot Toddy to a Bee's Knees cocktail.

We like a nice dose of honey in everything from a great hot cocktail to a classic bourbon creation like an Old Fashioned. But not just any honey will do and, often, you don't just want to throw it in last minute. Instead, honey can be prepped a bit so it can enter a drink seamlessly. Moreover, you can source some delicious higher-end honey that will offer lovely floral components and easy-to-mix-with flavors. Here's how to mix cocktails with honey.

Read more