By
Rebecca Gibson |
Virgin Voyages has partnered up with Miami-based Wynwood Brewing Company to create its own signature craft beer, which will be served in various venues onboard its first cruise ship, Scarlet Lady, when she debuts in 2020.
The English pale ale is brewed with American malts and hops in Miami but uses English yeast in a nod to Virgin’s British heritage. It is finished with a little roasted malt to give it a signature red tint. According to Virgin, the ale is a “drinker’s beer with the approachability in its taste for the novice.”
“Virgin has always been known for pushing the boundaries in the same way that craft beer has,” said Luis Brignoni, founder of Wynwood Brewing Company. “We are so excited to work with the company on this project and create a unique beer that folks can enjoy on the high seas. It seems only fitting with a company rooted in English heritage sailing in Miami that we brew an English-style beer right in the heart of the Magic City.”
The beer will be featured in Scarlet Lady’s onboard tap room, the Draught Haus. Designed in collaboration with Softroom, Draught Haus will have an eclectic mix of furniture, a sweeping arc of illuminated dichroic glass fins, window seats, rustic detailing and a beer tap display behind the bar. The venue will serve seven other on-tap beers, a range of bottled artisanal beers, shots, shot-cocktails and boilermakers. The bar will also offer a growler service, so guests can take their beers to other public spaces or their cabins.
“Virgin Voyages always loves a challenge and so we asked ourselves: “how can we create the most perfect beer to be enjoyed in the midday sun?’” said Charles Steadman, senior manager of beverage development for Virgin Voyages. “We have created the perfect pale ale that is both thirst quenching and refreshingly delicious, but of course, created with a Virgin twist, as we have given our pale beer a little kiss of scarlet red. And who better to partner with on this exciting endeavour than Wynwood Brewing Company, based in Scarlet Lady’s homeport of Miami.”
Virgin has asked future guests to suggest names for the new beer by visiting its Instagram page and commenting on the post of the beer can.