Carnival Cruise Line has teamed up with Florida-based Brew Hub to can and keg its own private label beers, which will be brewed aboard the Carnival Horizon and Carnival Vista ships. It’s the first time a major cruise line has partnered with a craft brew manufacturer.
According to Carnival vice president of beverage operations Edward Allen, the success of the company’s breweries onboard the Horizon and Vista led to the collaboration.
“To be the first cruise line to ever scale up its beverage operations by canning and kegging their own beer is unprecedented,” Allen said in a statement. “My hope is that our guests will take a four-pack home with them to share with family and friends as a refreshing and memorable reminder of their cruise.”
Carnival’s brewery team has created three different beers, which are currently available in cans and on tap through the company’s 26 ships and at all private destinations. The beers are ThirstyFrog Caribbean Wheat, ParchedPig West Coast IPA, and ParchedPig Toasted Amber Ale.
How do they taste? One cruiser took a tour on the Horizon last year and noted it was “one of the best brewery tours” he’d ever experienced. He tasted several beers and noted that the “toasted Amber is slightly malty and a great introduction to craft beers for those who might not be familiar with them.”
Carnival launched the first North American brewery at sea three years ago. Since 2016, the company has served almost 300,000 pints of its private label craft beers. The company has also released seasonal products such as Miami Guava Wheat and Pumpkin Spice Ale.
A third onboard brewery will be included onboard the Carnival Panorama when it debuts in December 2019 in California.
