When it comes to choosing an airline, I am a single-issue voter: I want the cheapest flight possible. (Ok maybe 1.5 issues, because I’m not trying to figure out which ghastly airport bar to run out the clock at during a four-hour layover. I’ll pay a little extra for direct.) But there’s a new mile-high development that priority boarded one airline to the front of the list. Alaska Airlines is going to start serving Stumptown Coffee.
Announced today, October 11th, the Seattle-based airline has tapped Stumptown Coffee to provide the coffee for all Alaska flights. To Canada, to Costa Rica, to Mexico, to Belize or any of the other 120 destinations foreign and domestic that Alaska flies to, if it’s an Alaska Airlines flight, the coffee served on board will be Stumptown. The roll-out will begin this fall, and by December 1st will include every flight.
“Having flown millions of miles fueled by countless cups of coffee, Stumptown stands out as first class,” said Alaska Airlines CEO Ben Minicucci. “Like travel, coffee has a remarkable way of bringing people together. I can’t wait for our guests and employees to enjoy a cup of Stumptown when they fly with us.”
The coffee served will be a custom blend based on Stumptown’s Holler Mountain. “We wanted a crowd pleaser—something that would delight folks who enjoy milder coffees and also speak to guests who enjoy medium-bodied roasts,” states Stumptown President Laura Szeliga. For the blend, Stumptown is pushing the development into the medium-dark range and have done over 200 tests, both on land and in the sky, to make sure the coffee performed well no matter where it was consumed. And, as the press release notes, it was even taste tested to make sure it “paired beautifully” with Alaska’s in-flight milk option and a Biscoff cookie. Stumptown and a Biscoff, we must be at 5,000 feet because I think I just touched Heaven.
With the new partnership, Stumptown joins other quality-focused locally-based brands served on Alaska flights, including Salt & Straw, Seattle Chocolates, and Freemont Brewing.
I have to admit, this news makes me unreasonably excited. The in-flight coffee is one of the great little joys of travel, regardless of the quality. There’s just something comforting about it. So the prospect of that experience getting enhanced with actually good, specialty coffee? What’s not to love about that. For more information, visit Stumptown Coffee’s official website.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
