What goes into a beer designed to be sipped at altitude? Air New Zealand has its own answer, with the launch of a beer crafted exclusively for its customers in the sky.
The airline teamed up with popular Wellington brewery Parrotdog on its new Dash-hound IPA, a brew built for the cabin environment using the experimental hop variety NZH-109.
The release marks the national carrier’s latest effort to showcase homegrown producers through its onboard food and beverage menu, and comes as it investigates the Australian ties to one of its “NZ owned” snack suppliers Project 32.
Air NZ’s head of culinary Justin Koen said Parrotdog was a natural partner for the project.
“Parrotdog are masters of their craft and a true New Zealand success story - three mates who turned a passion for brewing into one of the country’s most loved independent breweries,” he told the Herald.
“We’re always looking for ways to showcase great New Zealand craftsmanship in the air and our team felt that Parrotdog was the perfect fit.”
Designing a beer for 30,000 feet is no easy feat. Koen noted cabin environments significantly alter how flavour is perceived, so food and beverages on the menu can take months to tailor.
“Lower air pressure and humidity dull our sense of smell, which directly affects taste, meaning we can lose up to 30% of our ability to detect sweetness and saltiness,” he said.
“On the other hand, acidity, spice and umami notes tend to hold up better, which is why we lean into those when designing food and beverage menus.”
For Parrotdog, that meant engineering tasting notes that could still shine in the sky. Managing director Paul Watson said the brewery approached the brief with that insight front of mind.
“To counter this, we’ve brewed a very clean and pale pilsner malt, which provides a neutral springboard for two very aromatic NZ hop varieties to shine - NZH-109 and Nelson Sauvin,” he said.
“The process has been highly collaborative from day one, and together we created something uniquely Kiwi that celebrates the spirit of both brands.”
NZH-109 was created by NZ Hops, a cooperative of Master Growers, through its Bract Brewing Programme, which aims to develop the next generation of commercial hop varieties.
It is gaining recognition globally and was chosen by Parrotdog for its standout performance in earlier small-batch trials.
“NZH-109 is the most promising new release to come out of [the programme],” Watson said.
“After using small amounts in small, limited-release brews over the last 18 months, we’ve been blown away by the hop’s big, juicy peach and white grape notes.”
The original recipe didn’t need much tinkering either. Watson said the “first test batch luckily hit the mark straight away”.
A creative addition to Air NZ’s in-flight drinks list, travellers can sample Dash-hound in the airline’s Koru lounges, while Wellingtonians can try it on tap at Parrotdog’s Lyall Bay headquarters.
The collaboration reflects a broader push to bring a New Zealand-first menu to customers, Koen said, showcasing local and indigenous ingredients such as kawakawa, seafood and cheeses.
“It’s all about giving customers a true taste of Aotearoa.”
Air NZ this month said it had opened a formal investigation into Project 32, a snack supplier for the airline, after complaints its claim to be a Kiwi-owned company were misleading.
The airline told David Farrier’s Webworm that it would pull Project 32’s products from its flights.
“We take the allegations made in your article seriously and have initiated a formal investigation with the supplier,” Air NZ wrote in a statement.
“We will not serve the snacks onboard our flights while we undertake this process.
“This will take the next couple of days to come into effect as we work through the impact on our operations.”
Tom Rose is an Auckland-based journalist who covers breaking news, specialising in lifestyle, entertainment and travel. He joined the Herald in 2023.
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