Alaska Airlines and Stumptown Coffee serve up new coffee blend fit for the skies
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Summary
In partnership with Stumptown Coffee Roasters, we’re introducing a custom coffee blend designed to taste amazing at 30,000 feet, available on all flights this fall.
Because altitude affects how food and drinks taste, Stumptown’s experts crafted a well-balanced, smooth blend to ensure every cup is deliciously enjoyable in the air.
Something new is brewing at Alaska! Together, with Stumptown Coffee Roasters, a third-wave coffee pioneer, we’re serving up a new custom coffee blend that’s specially crafted to be enjoyed up in the air — brewing this fall on all Alaska flights.
For those who don’t know, your taste buds react differently at 30,000 feet due to altitude, which can cause food and drinks to taste different from how they do on the ground. So, we flew in the experts at Stumptown to craft a custom coffee blend that ensures a well-balanced, complex flavor profile that delivers a remarkably smooth and enjoyable cup for our guests every time you fly with us.
Third wave coffee roasters like Stumptown treat coffee as a culinary art and put the focus on the coffee rather than the roasts, bringing sweetness and clarity to their cups and broadening peoples’ expectations of what coffee can be.
Having flown millions of miles fueled by countless cups of coffee, Stumptown stands out as first class. 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.”
Our Custom Coffee Blend
Our journey together began with a sip of Stumptown’s Holler Mountain, its best-selling, certified organic coffee. Alaska’s medium-dark blend uses the same clean and sweet base as Holler Mountain, but with a primary focus on a roast that mellows acidity and introduces just enough toastiness to please a wide range of palates.
It’s exceptionally smooth and balanced, with aromatic notes of toasted marshmallows, browned butter and toffee with delicate hints of citrus and cherry. Additionally, Stumptown dialed in this roast to be delicious when served black or with the addition of creamer or oat milk (also coming to Alaska flights Dec. 1).
Our custom roast will be available exclusively on all Alaska flights starting this fall and will be on every flight by Dec. 1, 2023. Plus, guests can sip Stumptown in our Portland and JFK Lounges where we’ll be proudly serving Stumptown’s Holler Mountain for our brewed coffee and Hair Bender in our hand-crafted espresso beverages. Trapper Creek will also be available as a decaf option.
We wanted a crowd pleaser—something that would delight folks who enjoy milder coffees and also speak to guests who enjoy medium-bodied roasts.”
“I hope our guests fall in love with our new custom roast as much as I did when I first tried it,” said Roman, a flight attendant in Portland, who joined employees for a tasting tour of Stumptown’s Roastery at their headquarters in Portland, Oregon. “It’s a bit lighter with an organic, cleaner finish that I think will be well received.”
Roman says after being a flight attendant for 30 years, this is a very thoughtful step for an airline to take to boost the overall guest experience.
“So many of our guests ask for a cup of coffee on board, and our roast is bound to exceed expectations,” he said. “It’s remarkable how even the smallest thing — like coffee — can brighten someone’s day.”
Before she became a first officer based out of Boise with Horizon Air, Alaska’s regional carrier, Sophie used to be a barista and says it was one of her favorite jobs.
“I enjoyed recognizing customers and remembering their coffee orders. It was refreshing to meet new people and get to know their stories just as they got to know mine,” she said. “I could probably still tell you their coffee orders today.”
Sophie has always been intrigued by Stumptown.
“My first impression of the company was cool, edgy, and very Portland,” said Sophie. “I hope our guests will appreciate this change and know how much work went into our roast. I learned on our tour about the countless tests it took to get the blend just right for 30,000 feet. To me, that shows care, attention to detail, and quality. All the things I think our guests will appreciate.”
The sky-high taste test
After selecting our signature coffee, we conducted extensive brewing tests both on the ground and in the air. We did this to 1) understand how it tasted both in the air and on the ground; and 2) ensure our roast worked with all types of brewing machines on Alaska and Horizon aircraft.
More than 200 pots of coffee were brewed for the development of this project.
We tested over 20 variables, including changes in grind, dose, filter paper and filter-pack dimensions to make sure the inflight experience will wow our guests.
Multiple flight tests and blind customer surveys were conducted to ensure the taste tests met what you’d expect from a cup of Stumptown coffee on the ground.
We even taste-tested the coffee with Alaska’s inflight milk and Biscoff cookie to ensure both paired beautifully with the coffee we landed on.
As the #1 airline on the West Coast, Stumptown joins Alaska’s portfolio of leading West Coast brands including Tillamook, Beecher’s Cheese, Salt & Straw, Seattle Chocolates, Fremont Brewing, Evergreens and Straightaway Cocktails.
“I think the Alaska custom roast will be a real crowd pleaser. It’s super approachable, full bodied and subtly sweet. I was very excited to be invited to the tasting at Stumptown and see the roasting process and all their equipment. Those guys are the real deal! This is a big come up for all of us, and I think our guests will be excited to get a fresh cup of coffee from a great PNW brand.”
A West Coast Pairing
More than two decades ago, Portland, Oregon’s beloved Stumptown led the third wave — a craft movement in coffee sourcing and roasting emphasizing quality and sustainability — in the Pacific Northwest and beyond through its uncompromising commitment to craft and unwavering dedication to its top-tier roasting methods, partners and the planet.
As a Certified B Corporation and global brand with cafes in Portland, Los Angeles, New York and Kyoto, Japan, Stumptown is committed to sustainability in its cafes, breweries, roasting and manufacturing facilities. The company is rolling out plans to reduce energy, water consumption and achieve zero landfill-bound waste in the manufacturing operations by 2025, which aligns with Alaska’s goal to be carbon net zero by 2040.
As the premier West Coast airline, Alaska shares an appreciation for craftsmanship and a commitment to innovation and sustainability. We were the first airline to implement an inflight recycling program; the first to eliminate plastic cups, straws and stir sticks on board; and the first to offer guests the ability to pre-order meals and snacks. We feature dozens of West Coast-based food and beverage brands on board and have a long history of collaborating with partners who share our commitment to the planet, our communities and to providing caring service.
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Looking for stills, b-roll, logos of our partnership with Stumptown? Look no further!
About Alaska Airlines
Alaska Airlines, the premier West Coast airline, and our regional partners serve more than 120 destinations across the United States, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica and Mexico. We strive to be the most caring airline with award-winning customer service and an industry-leading loyalty program. As a member of the oneworld alliance, and with our additional global partners, our guests can travel to more than 1,000 destinations on more than 25 airlines while earning and redeeming miles on flights to locations around the world. Learn more about Alaska at news.alaskaair.com and follow @alaskaairnews for news and stories. Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air are subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group.
About Stumptown
Founded in Portland, Oregon in 1999, Stumptown Coffee Roasters is a pioneer of the Third Wave coffee movement and direct-trade sourcing and is credited with the creation of the cold brew coffee category. A Certified B Corporation and global brand with cafes in Portland, Los Angeles, New York and Kyoto, Stumptown coffee and cold brew can be found in thousands of grocery stores and wholesale partners across the U.S. Connect with Stumptown on social media: Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok.
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