• Alaska Airlines Tile
    Alaska Airlines
    IATA/ICAO Code:
    AS/ASA
    Airline Type:
    Full Service Carrier
    Hub(s):
    Anchorage International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, Portland International Airport, San Francisco International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
    Year Founded:
    1932
    Alliance:
    oneworld
    CEO:
    Ben Minicucci
    Country:
    United States
    Region:
    North America

Alaska Air Cargo has delivered the largest shipment of fresh hops to breweries in Anchorage and Maui. The deliveries were made in a record time of under 24 hours from harvest to processing at the breweries. The airline has delivered over 1,200 pounds of undried hops to Maui Brewing Co. in Hawaii and 49th State Brewing in the northern state of Alaska. These deliveries were a transportation milestone for the brewing industries in these isolated communities. The involved parties have shared their pride in the significant accomplishment.

Harvest season

Hop crop used to craft beer has been a staple of the Pacific Northwest for decades. Washington State produces over 75% of all US hop crops. In the late summer, hops in the Pacific Northwest are rushed from the farms as soon as they are harvested to local breweries. This latest accomplishment has shown that the hops can be transported fresh to further destinations than Seattle and Portland.

Alaska Airlines Air Cargo hops shipment
Photo: Alaska Airlines

The Cargo Managing Director for Alaska Airlines, Adam Drouhard, shared how the company's Seattle hub puts it in the perfect position to transport these fresh hops to further destinations as most of the hops grown in the US are grown in Washington. Droudhard stated,

"This is a potential game-changer for the craft beer industry and farm-to-glass collaboration at its finest,

"This puts a Northwest agricultural product in places that don't normally get it. With the size and scope we have in Seattle, we are really positioned to own this."

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Timely delivery

The process of undertaking the attempted transoceanic shipments began when the airline was informed that its experience shipping perishable foods over long distances, such as salmon shipments, made the company perfectly equipped to undertake such a feat. The Yakima-based Bale Breaker Brewing Company was essential in getting the plan started. In collaboration with 49th State Brewing, Maui Brewing, Yakima Chief Hops, and Alaska Air Cargo, Bale Breaker drew up a logistics plan to ensure the mission was successful.

Draft beer made from hops served at Alaska Airlines airport lounges
Alaska Airlines is currently serving the draft beer made from these famous hops at its airport lounges in Anchorage and Seattle. Photo: Alaska Airlines

The plan would need to follow a strict schedule to reach Alaska and Hawaii in under 24 hours. The Chief Sales and Marketing Officer for Yakima Chief Hops, Bryan Pierce, stated,

"Scalability of shipping fresh hops has really been the challenge to overcome because you only have about 24 hours from harvest before the hops start to degrade,"

The plan was underway when the hop picking began at Loftus Ranches, where Bale Breaker Brewing is located. Once picked, the hops were quickly bagged and loaded onto refrigerated trucks. They were then raced to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) to be loaded onto the airplanes. The 1,200 pounds of hops were soon en route to their destinations. The brewers in Alaska and Hawaii were eagerly awaiting the delivery. As soon as the shipments arrived at the breweries, the hops were pushed straight into the beer-making process's first stage.

The historic feat looks to have sparked a long-term partnership between the companies. The Co-Founder of 49th State Brewing, David McCarthy, said following after the event,

"Using Alaska Air Cargo, we can guarantee the supply chain all the way from field to the kettle,

"Aficionados of beer are really looking for this flavor, and we're excited we can now make the freshest beer in Anchorage and the whole Alaska market."

What do you think of this historic achievement? Let us know in the comments below.