I travel all the time, so I’m no stranger to long journeys. But 16 hours in the air is a lot of time to kill. And outside of sleeping—which I’m terrible at—and burning through a Netflix series, my favorite onboard activity is to partake in (some might say “recklessly ravage”) the food and drink menus. Because if I’m spending a collective 32 hours on a plane, even a nice plane, you can bet I’m making the most of it.
Fortunately, Cathay Pacific had plenty to keep me occupied on my recent flights between DFW and Hong Kong. The menus are world class, especially if you’re lucky enough to fly up front. So I perused said menus and plotted my moves. I chose meals like wonton noodle soup from Mak’s Noodles and braised chicken with abalone, sea cucumber and matsutake mushrooms from Michelin-starred Duddell’s.
I sampled from the new Discovery Wine Series, which spotlights under-the-radar wine regions and grape varieties from around the world, including from China and other countries like Hungary and Georgia. I even tried the airline’s official Cloud Nine cocktail, made with vodka, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and Sprite. But across my two 16-hour flights, I kept coming back to Betsy Beer, a pale ale brewed exclusively for the airline.
Most people don’t realize how dramatically our senses change once we’re in the air. At cruising altitude, the combination of low humidity and reduced cabin pressure can dull taste perception by up to 30 percent, especially when it comes to sweetness and aroma. – Ronald Khoo, Cathay Pacific’s Spirits and Beverages Manager
Brewed for Altitude
Betsy Beer is named for Cathay Pacific’s first aircraft, a 1946 DC-3 (aka Betsy), which is currently on display at the Hong Kong Science Museum. The beer was created in partnership with Gweilo, a local brewery. The best part: It’s designed to taste best at 35,000 feet. When developing Betsy Beer, the team engineered the recipe specifically around those conditions by softening the bitterness, dialing in a gentler carbonation level, and amplifying the aromatic components.
“The use of Amarillo and Simcoe hops, which—combined with subtle additions of dried mandarin orange from Hong Kong—give Betsy a distinctive citrus-forward aroma and flavor,” adds Khoo. “The result is a beer that actually opens up at altitude. What feels bold and slightly sweet on the ground becomes brighter, more aromatic, and incredibly refreshing at 35,000 feet.”
Betsy Beer is part of Cathay’s broader in-flight philosophy to improve what can be improved. If flying changes the way we taste, then why not design menus that taste better in the sky?
“At Cathay Pacific, we’ve spent years studying how altitude affects flavor—from the way we select wines to how we build our inflight menus—so creating a beer tailored for the cabin environment felt like a natural next step,” Khoo says. “Working with Gweilo Beer allowed us to craft something that reflects Hong Kong’s character while also enhancing the inflight dining experience. It’s the same philosophy behind our dining program, be it our wine program, our tea selection, or our collaborations with Michelin‑starred chefs. Everything we serve onboard is chosen with intention, with the goal of making the journey as memorable as the destination.”
Drinking Betsy Beer at 35,000 Feet
To be fair, I think most beers taste pretty good in flight, when any comfort—beer or otherwise—is a welcome treat. But I can attest that Betsy Beer does taste damn good when you’re slurping noodles in the sky and halfway through a Netflix marathon. It sports some of the classic hops you expect in a pale ale, but the hops are more citrusy than bitter, and the beer drinks light and refreshing. Hence my ability to order another without feeling too weighed down. The beer also pairs well with the airline’s food menu. I enjoyed it with both the braised chicken and then later with the wonton noodle soup.
The only place you can find Betsy outside of the cabin is within Cathay Pacific’s extensive network of lounges at Hong Kong International Airport. The lounges are worth checking out regardless for their noodle bars and tasting menu restaurants. But before leaving Hong Kong, I decided to sample the beer again at ground level when my taste receptors weren’t dulled by altitude. And, hey, it’s still good—maybe a little sweeter, but still crisp and citrusy. So you don’t have to wait until you’re on board to sample Betsy. But nothing makes you feel more alive (or less dead) than cracking open a cold can from your seat, looking out the window and knowing that free refills are stocked and ready to go as you count down the hours to your destination.
