Great craft beer on planes is finally reaching the blue skies, as the 21st Amendment Brewery is set to launch their Brew Free! or Die IPA in cans aboard Virgin America Airlines. Starting now Virgin America will serve complimentary Brew Free! or Die IPA in First Class and Main Cabin Select and the beer will be available for purchase in the Main Cabin for $7.
21st Amendment co-owners Shaun O’Sullivan and Nico Freccia
“This is a huge day for beer drinkers looking for a full flavored craft beer while flying aboard Virgin America. The 21st Amendment’s innovative approach of putting craft beer with unique flavors in cans partners perfectly with Virgin America, a brand synonymous with innovation, creativity and an emphasis on the customer’s experience,” says Shaun O’Sullivan, Brewmaster and Co-Founder of the 21st Amendment.
Brew Free! or Die IPA is brewed with some serious west coast attitude. This aromatic golden IPA starts with a sucker punch of six different hops to the nose, quickly balanced by a solid malt back bone. The Brewery’s top selling beer, this IPA starts big and finishes clean leaving you wanting more.
“Craft beer in cans is better for the beer than glass bottles and better for the environment with a lower carbon footprint. Not only are cans lighter, take less energy to make, transport and recycled more often than glass, but they also don’t allow light to reach the beer which can cause spoilage. You can also take cans to places where bottles can’t go, like the beach, lakes, golf courses and of course airplanes,” says Nico Freccia, Co-founder of the 21st Amendment.
“We couldn’t be more pleased to partner with 21st Amendment. Our guests have been looking for an expanded onboard beer selection with more locally-produced micro-brews. We’ve received that feedback from many channels – including Tweets and Facebook posts received from 35,000 feet via our in-flight WiFi,” said Porter Gale, Vice President of Marketing at Virgin America. “As the only airline with a touch-screen in-flight entertainment at every seatback that offers on-demand food and drinks, Virgin America is all about offering flyers more and better choices. We’re pleased to partner with another San Francisco-based company to elevate the typical in-flight experience above the ordinary.”
“The great side note and cool little twist about this story is the whole thing started on Twitter. I was flying aboard a Virgin America flight and tweeted about the amazing in-flight experience and later inquired about the possibility of getting the 21st Amendment beer on Virgin America’s planes. One thing led to another and now we’re drinking 21st Amendment’s craft beer at 35,000 feet. Social networking, planes and beer go together,” says Shaun O’Sullivan, a self proclaimed Twitter addict himself.