Within 24 hours of harvest, Alaska Air Cargo transported the first and largest fresh hops run in the industry to brewers in Maui and Anchorage this fall.

This massive logistical hop-eration expanded the reach of a beloved seasonal beer beyond the Pacific Northwest.

Alaska travelled further than any U.S. commercial aircraft previously by transporting more than 1,200 pounds of fresh hops to 49th State Brewing in Alaska and Maui Brewing Co. in Hawaii. These beers are normally made from freshly-plucked, undried hops that are rushed straight from the fields to the breweries.

Adam Drouhard, cargo managing director for Alaska Airlines, notes that Washington state produces about three-quarters of the nation’s hop harvest and calls this a “possible game-changer for the craft beer sector and farm-to-glass teamwork at its best.” “A Northwest agricultural product is now available in areas where it wouldn’t ordinarily be. We are actually in a position to own this in Seattle given our size and scope.”

It all began with a profound appreciation for fresh hops beer and the realisation that Alaska Airlines might hold the key to spreading it over the globe.

Source: Prnewswire