BeerFly: Airline Edition

Finding Beer in the Sky
Which airlines get BeerAdvocate’s in-flight beer of approval?

With more and more airlines cutting corners to save a buck, security restrictions stopping you from carrying on your own and airlines focusing on pampering their premiere passengers with froufrou food and wine, finding a good beer at cruising altitude is getting tough, but no worries. We took to the air, searched the skies and returned with our findings—breaking them into BeerAdvocate First Class, Business Class and Economy Class.

BA First Class:
Their beer selection leaves other airlines grounded with a bag of stale peanuts and a stiff back.

Horizon Air (alaskaair.com)
Part of Alaskan Air, Horizon offers the best selection of beers we’ve yet to come across in the entire world. They’re literally in a class by themselves, with fliers spying rotating craft beer offerings from Northwest breweries like:

Bear Republic Brewing Co. (Calif.)
Elysian Brewing Co. (Wash.)
La Conner Brewing Co. (Wash.)
Pyramid Breweries (Wash.)
Redhook Ale Brewery (Wash.)
Skagit River Brewery (Wash.)
Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Company (Wash.)

The best part? According to a recent post on BeerAdvocate they offer craft beer in-flight for free, “As in no charge! You must pay for a major domestic,” stated president and founder of Deschutes Brewery, Gary Fish.

BA Business Class:
Offering a little local flavor or something different, these airlines deserve some mad “props” for their offerings.

Alaskan Airlines (alaskaair.com)
Offers: Alaskan Brewing Co.’s Amber and some of their seasonal brews.
Not nearly as impressive as their sister Horizon’s flights, but we’ll take an Alaskan on any flight.

AeroMexico (aeromexico.com)
Offers: Corona Extra, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo
Make your flight attendant’s day and ask for a lime wedge—use the button to do it.

British Airlines (britishairways.com)
Offers: Fuller’s London Pride, Miller Lite, Stella Artois
Oi! Nothing like a can of Fuller’s to get you primed for the UK.

Czech Airlines (czechairlines.com)
Offers: Budweiser Budvar (aka—Czechvar),
Pilsner Urquell
Order both beers and eye shades so you can conduct your own blind Czech Pils tasting!

Delta Shuttle (delta.com)
Offers: Samuel Adams Boston Lager
This is the only thing good about flying Delta.

Frontier Airlines (frontierairlines.com)
Offers: Coors, Coors Light, Heineken, Molson, Newcastle Brown Ale
Interesting. Probably the only airline offering good ole Newkey Brown, and they cover four countries.

Hawaiian Airlines (hawaiianair.com)
Offers: Heineken, Maui Brewing Bikini Blonde Lager, Mehana Beer, Miller Lite
Big ups go to Hawaiian for trying to keep it local and crafty with the Maui and Mehana.

Midwest Airlines (midwestairlines.com)
Offers: selections from Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Co., Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite
Welcome aboard Miller Flight 212, we recommend a Leine’s today.

Scandinavian Airlines (flysas.com)
Offers: a Danish craft beer, Skands Humlefrynd
Skål to our Scando brothers and sisters for offering in-flight craft brew!

Qantas (qantas.com)
Offers: Victoria Bitter, Tooheys New, Hahn Premium Light
Kind of no frills considering the price of your ticket, but better than nothing on a day-long flight.

BA Economy Class:
Is it beer time or nap time? You decide.

Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com)
Offers: Budweiser, Guinness
Apparently Guinness is business class only now. Aer Lingus refused to make comments on their offerings.

Air Canada (aircanada.com)
Offers: Heineken, Heineken Light, Molson Canadian

Air Jamaica airjamaica.com
Offers: Red Stripe

AirTran Airways
Offers: Amstel Light, Budweiser, Bud Light, Bud Select, Heineken, Michelob Ultra

Allegiant Air (allegiantair.com)
Offers: Budweiser, Bud Light

Continental Airlines (continental.com)
Offers: Foster’s, Heineken, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite

Delta Airlines (delta.com)
Offers: Budweiser, Heineken, Miller Lite

Jet Blue (jetblue.com)
Offers: Budweiser, Bud Light, Heineken

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (klm.com)
Offers: Heineken

Lufthansa (lufthansa.com)
Offers: Warsteiner

Skybus Airlines (skybus.com)
Offers: Budweiser, Bud Light

Southwest (southwest.com)
Offers: Bud Light, Bud Select, Heineken, Miller Lite

US Airways (usairways.com)
Recently invested in upgrading their wine selection. As for beer they offer: Budweiser, Bud Light, Heineken

Beer Packing Tips
You can’t carry beer on with you, but you can pack it in your checked luggage. Here are our tried and true tips for ensuring your beer makes it back home as safe as you.

• Don’t bring home too much. It’s hard to decide what to bring back, but you could face some extra weight fees or possible denial.
• Don’t worry about exploding bottles. It rarely happens, but feel free to bring big Ziplock bags with you and insert each beer in one after wrapping.
• Wrap your beers individually and completely. Drop each bottle into a dirty sock and then roll it in another article of clothing—make sure caps are covered so they don’t gouge your other items.
• Don’t pack too tightly. You want things slightly loose to compensate for the sudden weight or impact caused by your luggage being tossed around.
• As always, check with your arrival destination for legal limits. Coming into the US, you’re legally allowed to bring back one liter of beer without having to pay duty and Internal Revenue Service tax. If you plan on bringing more, it’s dutiable and you’re supposed to claim it upon entering the country or make proper arrangements with your port of entrance if the amount is substantial. If you’re not 21+, you could face penalties fees and arrest—not to mention the beer will be confiscated.

Photo by Jon Towle

Airport Bars
Whether dealing with a four-hour layover from hell or your flight is mere minutes away, there’s always time for a beer at an airport bar. Here’s a roundup of some of the better bars to pull up a stool and brew.

Albany, NY (ALB) albanyairport.com
Saranac Brew House: Food Court
Saranac Street Pub: Concourse A

Atlanta, GA (ATL) atlanta-airport.com
Brews & Blues Bar: Concourse A
Red Brick Tavern: Concourse T
Samuel Adams Brewhouse: Concourse A & C
Sweetwater Draft House & Grill: Concourse B

Boston, MA (BOS) massport.com/logan
Boston Beer Works: Terminal C
Dine Boston Bar & Grill: Terminal E
Harpoon Tap Room: Terminal A
Samuel Adams Brewhouse: Terminal C

Cincinnati, OH (CVG) cvgairport.com
Bluegrass Brewing Co.: Concourse C
Samuel Adams Celebrates Cincinnati: Concourse A
The Pub: Terminal C

Chicago, IL O’Hare (ORD) flychicago.com
Berghoff Cafe: Terminal 1
Goose Island Brewing: Terminal 2

Cleveland, OH (CLE) clevelandairport.com
Cleveland Brews: Concourse C
Great Lakes Brewing Co.:
Concourse A

Denver, CO (DEN) flydenver.com
New Belgium Hub: Concourse B Regional Jet Facility
Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery: Concourse C
Timberline Steakhouse: Concourse C

Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
Gordon Biersch Brewery: Departure Post-Security
Karl Strauss Microbrewery: Terminal 7
Manhattan Beach Brewing Company: Terminal 4
Redondo Beach Brewing Co.: Terminal 6

Madison, WI (MSN) msnairport.com
Great Dane Brew Pub: Gates 7-8
Usinger’s Wurst House: Gate 5

Manchester, NH (MHT) flymanchester.com
Nutfield Pub & Cafe: Second Floor
Smutty Public House: Second Floor

Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN (MSP) mspairport.com
Ike’s Food & Cocktails: Checkpoint 1
Rock Bottom Restaurant: C/D Intersect

New York, NY (JFK) panynj.gov
Brooklyn Beer Garden: Terminal 1
Brooklyn Ale House: Terminal 4
Links On Tap: Terminal 2
NY Sports Bar & Grill: Terminal 6
Samuel Adams Brewhouse: Terminal 3 & 4

Newark, NJ (EWR)
Brooklyn Brewery Jazz Bar: Terminal C
Samuel Adams Pub: Terminal B &C

Philadelphia, PA (PHL) phl.org
Independence Brew Pub: B/C Connector
Jet Rock Bar & Grill: Concourses B, C, D & F
Old Philadelphia Tavern: Concourse A

Phoenix, AZ (PHX) phoenix.gov/skyharborairport
Desert Springs Brewing Company (Gordon Biersch): Terminal 4

Portland, OR (PDX) flypdx.com
Gustav’s Pub & Grill: Concourse C
Laurelwood Brewing Co.: Concourses A & C
Rogue Ales Public House: Concourse D

Sacramento, CA (SAC) sacairports.org
Gordon Biersch: Terminal B
Pyramid Ales & Lagers: Terminal B
The Capital Brewery: Terminal A

Seattle, WA (SEA) portseattle.org
Anthony’s Restaurant: Central Terminal
Seattle Taproom: Concourse B

Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) slcairport.com
Squatters Pub Brewery: Concourse C
The Hive: Concourse B
Wasatch Pub: Concourse D

San Francisco, CA (SFO) flysfo.com
Anchor Brewing Company: Terminal 3

Washington DC – Dulles (IAD) metwashairports.com
Gordon Biersch: D Concourse
Old Dominion Brewing Co.: B Concourse

Washington DC – Reagan National (DCA) metwashairports.com
Gordon Biersch: Terminal C
Samuel Adams Brewhouse: Terminal A

Tips

• Unfortunately with many airports each terminal has its own security, so if you’re not flying out of a specific terminal, you might not have access.
• The beers might be expensive, but people are still serving you. Don’t be a cheapskate. Tip $1 a beer in the US.
• Don’t get suckered into ordering a bonus shot of bottom-shelf booze with your beer.
• Don’t get suckered into ordering super-sized beers. If you need to drink up quickly, you might be wasting beer, and you’ll ultimately lessen your chances of enjoying more than one different type of beer.
• Hydrate with water. Flights tend to dry people out. Drinking beer doesn’t help.
• Take care of business before you board. You never know how long it’ll be before that seatbelt sign is off.
• Mind the time. Drinking beer tends to stop time. You don’t want to miss your flight.
• Respect Beer. Otherwise you run the risk of being denied boarding the aircraft, arrest and public humiliation.
• Don’t forget to checkout beeradvocate.com/beerfly for more destinations before you travel.

Essential Travel Tips for the Beer Drinker
By Lew Bryson

Drinking on the road or abroad is different than drinking at home or around town. The beers and bars are different, you may not know the rules and you can’t call your buddy to bail you out of jail. But the better beer movement has always been about sharing, and I’ve done a lot of beer travel. So here is the benefit of my experience … along with some hard-earned knowledge that cost me a bit more than the rest. Bon voyage, or as the Germans say, Gute fahrt!

Drink Water
Lots of it. It will keep you hydrated, stave off hangovers and keep you bloated just enough to dissuade you from drinking too much. (Bryson’s hard-earned knowledge: If you’re in an eastern European country, Mexico, or anywhere in Asia but Japan … stick to bottled water.)

Avoid Getting Drunk
Never a good idea—on the road, it’s worse. Getting drunk is a great way to wind up as a love toy on a long-haul freighter.

Don’t Drink on an Empty Stomach
Greasy foods slow down the absorption of alcohol, but you also want some bulk in there. You could try half a loaf of bread and a pint of olive oil, or just eat anything in Germany and the Czech Republic … or Italy, or France, or McDonald’s. (Bryson’s hard-earned knowledge: Bowel-adaptation to the local cuisine can take a couple days, ride it out, learn to enjoy it.)

Take a Drink Break
If you’re touring Portland’s brewpubs, take a mid-afternoon visit to the International Rose Test Garden; if you’re walking the Kölsch houses in Cologne, take the tour of the awesome cathedral. Then head back for more. Zwo kölsch, bitte!

Travel Together if Possible
There’s a better chance of someone staying sober enough to realize you’re both getting drunk. (Bryson’s hard-earned knowledge: At the very least, you’ll have someone to cover your back when you mouth off to the wrong lager lout.)

Never Pass up an Opportunity to Urinate
When you have to piss really bad, you start to make bad decisions. Always carry change: Some places charge. (Bryson’s hard-earned knowledge: Some places have bathroom attendants you will want to tip a small amount … to keep them from staring at you.)

Not Everyone Speaks English
Despite what you may have heard. Learn the following phrases, or write them down on a card:

• Do you speak English?
• Two beers, please.
• Does anyone here speak English?
• How much does that cost?
• Where is the bathroom/washroom/WC?
• We kicked/saved your ass in the war! (adapt as appropriate)
• I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.
• Check please, we have to leave.

Write Down Your Hotel’s Name and Address
Better yet, get their card when you check in; your handwriting sucks. Oh, wait, that’s Bryson’s hard-earned knowledge, your handwriting’s probably fine.

Have Another Glass of Water
Clears the palette, doesn’t it?

Research
Run a BeerFly search on the area on BeerAdvocate. Buy a guidebook (which usually has a street map). Make brewery contacts through email, brewer friends, etc., and request brewery tours ahead of time. Do a full Google search to find local/national guide pages. Ron Pattinson’s EuropeanBeerGuide.net is great for finding the very best pubs for beer and atmosphere in most of the countries of Europe.

“Isn’t it about time you bought a round?”
Buying rounds in the British Isles is taken very seriously; don’t buy or accept a round unless you’re in for a round with everyone at the table. Similarly, sitting at the Stammtisch, or regulars table in Germany, really pisses off the locals ‘who make that their habitual spot. (Bryson’s hard-earned knowledge: Local drinking games look fun, but the locals have played them a lot more than you have.)

Internet Cafes are Common and Inexpensive in Europe
Use them to email home or access BeerAdvocate to find good local beer spots.

Driving
Avoid it whenever you can. Get a transit card when available and plan your trip by transit stop. If transit isn’t an option, trade drinking and driving with a partner and stick to the deal. Remember that for practical purposes, most European countries forbid any drinking and driving.

Drink Some More Water About Now
About a liter should be good. Don’t forget to urinate.

Get a Street Map of the Area
You’ll feel better about going out exploring, which is the only way you’ll experience anything past, “Then we went to a pub and had a beer, and it was real good, so we went to another pub and had a beer, and it was so good we had another.”

Don’t Just Drink!
I’m not talking about drink breaks, either. Get out of your room, get out of the bars, see things. Keep an eye out for other tourists and take a look at what they do. Touristy things are often popular because they’re fun. (Bryson’s hard-earned knowledge: Don’t feel like a geek taking pictures. Take plenty. It might help you remember who “Becks 837-444-9021 Call me!” is.)

Know Your Beer Strengths
Get a handle on how strong types of beers are generally, and figure you’re within half a percentage point on local examples. Get an ABV figure on a popular local beer—BeerAdvocate probably has it—and you can ask the locals how a new beer compares to that one. ■