Alaska Airlines is rolling out a recent custom coffee mix on its flights that has been specially made to taste better up in the air.
The airline announced Tuesday it has partnered with Portland, Oregon-based Stumptown Coffee Roasters, which tweaked its signature Holler Mountain mix to create the fresh brew that will probably be available exclusively on Alaska and regional carrier Horizon Air flights by Dec. 1.
“For individuals who don’t know, your taste buds react in a different way at 30,000 feet due to altitude, which could cause food and drinks to taste different from how they do on the ground,” Alaska Airlines said in a press release. “So, we flew in the experts at Stumptown to craft a custom coffee mix that ensures a well-balanced, complex flavor profile that delivers a remarkably smooth and enjoyable cup for our guests each time you fly with us.”
Stumptown said it has tested 20 variables in developing the recent mix, brewed greater than 200 pots of coffee for testing each in-flight and on the ground to gauge its taste and used multiple in-flight tests and conducted blind customer surveys to be assured that guests will embrace it.
Alaska’s partnership with Stumptown means the airline is ending its longtime partnership with Starbucks, whose coffee it had served on all of its flights for greater than a decade, according to The Oregonian.
“We’re grateful to our friends at Starbucks and proud to have served their coffee onboard our flights for years,” Alaska said in a press release to the outlet.
“With that said, we’re all the time in search of ways to bring recent in-flight food and beverage offerings to our guests,” the statement continued. “We take great pride in partnering with small businesses along the West Coast and are thrilled to welcome Stumptown Coffee to our portfolio of regional food and beverage partners.”
Alaska is switching to Stumptown coffee on the ground, too.
The airline said it’ll be serving Stumptown’s original Holler Mountain mix and other brews in its Portland and JFK Airport lounges.