Alaska Airlines Teams Up with Straightaway Cocktails for New Inflight Drinks

Passengers on Alaska Airlines flights can soon enjoy old fashioneds and margaritas at 35,000 feet as the carrier partners with Straightaway Cocktails.

Portland-based Straightaway Cocktails has already brought the speakeasy experience to house parties and quiet nights in with its mixologist-grade cocktail mixes. Now their drinks are traveling even further.

From this year, passengers on Alaska Airlines flights of over 350 miles will be able to purchase Straightaway’s Oregon Old Fashioned or Margarita in new 100-milliliter single-serving cans. They cost $12 for passengers in the main cabin and are provided free of charge to those in first class.

Photo: Courtesy of Alaska Airlines

The Oregon Old Fashioned stays true to its home state with three-year rye whiskey, housemade simple syrup, and bitters made from fir needles and hazelnuts from Freddy Guys, a family-run hazelnut orchard in the Willamette Valley. It has an oaky taste, with hints of orange and a dry finish.

The Margarita has more wanderlust, incorporating reposado tequila and small-batched mezcal from Oaxaca, orange liqueur, agave, habanero, and mango syrups, with salt from Oregon’s own Jacobsen Salt Co. It’s vibrant and complex, with enough of a kick to break through the tastebud-dulling that occurs at cruising altitude.

“We’re thrilled to offer our 40+ million guests signature drinks from a small business in Portland who has changed the paradigm on canned cocktails by using high-quality, in-housemade ingredients,” said Jessica Johnston, senior food and beverage product manager at Alaska Airlines.

“We are proud to support a local business that stands behind high-quality ingredients, knowing it will improve our guests’ in-flight experience.”

For Straightaway co-founder Cy Cain, landing his drinks on a commercial flight is a long-time goal realized. When he concocted the company’s business plan in 2018, he already had his eyes on Seattle-based Alaska Airlines’ drinks cart.

But first, the company had to “prove we’re legit and real,” he told Portland Monthly.

It’s done so with a range of cocktail bar old faithfuls such as the negroni, gin fizz, and espresso martini, and some intriguing wildcards, like the Filipino gin and lemon drink lintik (Tagalog for lightning) and the rum swizzle.

But for its in-flight debut, Straightaway turned to standbys the old fashioned and margarita -approachable for weary travelers.

The cocktails juice up Alaska’s already wide selection of onboard alcoholic beverages, including the Elysian Brewing Space Dust IPA, Fremont Brewing Golden Pilsner, Domaine St. Vincent Sparkling Wine, Aviation Gin, and Tito’s Vodka.

Not taking to the skies anytime soon? Straightaway’s cocktail mixes and single-serving cans are available in 40 states through its website and also New Seasons and Market of Choice stores and select Whole Foods markets.