Cathay Pacific upgrades its inflight coffee

Hong Kong is a city steeped in tea culture, but the past decade has seen the rise of a robust coffee scene.

Seemingly every part of the city now features speciality cafés supported by local roasters, as coffee lovers become more selective about what goes into their cups.

And for discerning drinkers, inflight coffee can be hit or miss.

That’s why Cathay Pacific is stirring things up in a unique collaboration with local speciality roaster The Coffee Academics.

The Coffee Academics is behind a custom-designed Cathay Blend.

Their shared mission: to develop a coffee blend perfectly suited to be enjoyed at altitude, where profiles change as the senses of taste and smell are dulled.

The Coffee Academics team experimented with roast profiles, focusing on enhancing aroma and adjusting the flavour to suit inflight conditions.

An extensive series of tasting sessions saw each blend evaluated for flavour, aroma, body, acidity and aftertaste.

Ronald Khoo, Cathay’s Manager of Wine, Spirits and Beverages, tells Executive Traveller the finalists were – appropriately enough – evaluated on flights between Hong Kong and Singapore.

“We did the blending on a flight to Singapore together with the barista, and we chose the blend of the coffee on that flight.”

Cathay's upgraded coffee is now served in premium economy and economy.

The winning bespoke blend – christened the Cathay Blend – relies on beans from Vietnam and Brazil, countries known for the depth and complexity of their coffee.

The beans are French-roasted to deliver a rich, aromatic cup with notes of dark cocoa, roasted almond and a hint of floral honey ahead of a lingering earthy finish.

And despite being a dark roast, the Cathay Blend retains a bold, caramelised flavour profile without bitterness or acidity.

The Cathay Blend delivers a bold yet balanced cuppa above the clouds.

To ensure quality and consistency, each portion is packed in a biodegradable filter that allows the water to gently and evenly infuse through the grounds, ensuring consistent extraction and clarity to produce a clean, full-bodied cup every time.

The Cathay Blend is now being served in the premium economy and economy cabins of all Cathay Pacific flights, while Illy remains on the menu in business and first class.

Also read: The 48-hour Hong Kong stopover guide and How to experience Hong Kong like a local.