Flyin' High: Better Beer On Airplanes
Like many air travelers, when I fly on a plane I like to tie one on. For me, drinking alcohol is the best way to endure a screaming infant two rows over or turbulence as rocky as a roller coaster. Look at it this way: If the airplane is going down, then I'd rather be flying high.
My preferred liquid medicine is beer. Sadly, most airlines stick to wan offerings such as Budweiser, Miller or, if they're feeling particularly thematic during international jaunts, Corona or Sapporo. Hey, you're flying to Japan! Though I'm a captive customer, I can't fathom paying Manhattan-bar prices for these weak, watery suds. Instead, I stick to the airplane-size bottles of vodka or whiskey, relishing the fact that every single sky-high sip is a rapid trip to inebriation. (That's due to a one-two punch of altitude and low cabin pressure.)
But last week, the website CraftCans.com (yes, I'm the sort of man who spends his days perusing websites dedicated to canned beer) dropped this tidbit of titillating intelligence: A few select airlines had come to their senses and started to stock cans of quality craft beer. My world was rocked.
High above the clouds, I'd never again have to get hammered on miniature bottles of Jack Daniel's. Aboard Frontier Airlines, I'd chug New Belgium's biscuity flagship, the Fat Tire Amber Ale. On Virgin America, I'd order 21st Amendment's bitter Brew Free! or Die IPA and easy-glugging Black Star Double Hopped Golden Lager. And soaring aboard Hawaiian Airlines, I'd ready myself to get lei'd with Maui Brewing's Bikini Blonde Lager.
Forget voyaging to Portland, Maine, next week. I think it's time to change my travel plans.
What are your favorite beverages to drink while aboard a plane? Spill it in the comments.
More beer on Food Republic: