United Airlines Is Adding Cold Brew Coffee to Its Menu for the First Time

Cold brew coffee lovers can now enjoy their favorite beverage in the friendly skies when United Airlines adds the popular beverage to their in-flight menu. 

The cold brew, made by the Italian, family-owned coffee manufacturer illy, is brewed for 12 hours before being sealed and sent for distribution to passengers. The official launch of the beverage on board is July 1. However. travelers flying between New York / Newark (EWR) to Los Angeles (LAX) or San Francisco (SFO) will be able to enjoy a preview of the brew on red-eye flights between now and July 3. 

“We know fliers enjoy a pick-me-up during travel, and illy’s canned cold brew is the perfect beverage option for coffee lovers looking to stay energized and focused during their trip,” United’s Managing Director of Hospitality Programs Aaron McMillan shared in a statement to T+L. 

United also shared that cold brew will be available on flights longer than 300 miles, which is a majority of their mainline routes. It will be $6 a can.

“We are excited to build upon our successful partnership with United Airlines to offer our premium RTD Cold Brew to their passengers. This collaboration allows us to share the illy experience with a wider audience and provide a delightful refreshment option for travelers,” illy’s President of North America Jack Edwards shared in the release. 

Cold brew, and cold coffee beverages, have grown in popularity over the last several years. As an example, Starbucks shared that cold beverages reached 75% of all drinks made during part of the summer 2023, in a earnings release. 

With the shift to cold beverages, other travel brands have also been adding it to their menus. For example, the new Chase Sapphire Lounges in airports such as New York’s JFK and Boston’s Logan Airport all have cold brew served from New York-based coffee roastery Joe’s Coffee.