Skip to main content

Virgin Voyages Sea-ks Name For New Cruise-Ship-Exclusive Beer

Richard Branson is at it again, or at least his travel company Virgin Voyages is, as it launches its own beer brand. The catch, if you want to call it that? He’s calling for fans to name it.

To celebrate International Beer Day, Virgin Voyages announced it will serve a signature beer onboard the ship Scarlet Lady. The signature beer is an English Pale Ale with a hint of red, brewed by Miami’s Wynwood Brewing.

Virgin Voyages Wynwood Brewing
Virgin Voyages

“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 endeavor than Wynwood Brewing Company, based in Scarlet Lady’s home port of Miami.”

Recommended Videos

Followers of Virgin Voyages on Instagram can suggest their favorite names within the comments on the post featuring the beer.

“Virgin has always been known for pushing the boundaries in the same way that craft beer has.”

Although an English Pale Ale in name, it’s a hybrid in ingredients as the beer is made with American malt and hops and fermented with an English Ale yeast. The beer promises to have a malty body true to the English Pale Ale style, but a bit more American hop presence than is usual for that style.

 We are so excited to work with them on this project and create a unique beer that folks can enjoy on the high seas,” Luis Brignoni, Founder of Wynwood Brewing Company, said. “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.”

Virgin Voyages Daught Haus
Virgin Voyages

The beer will be served throughout the ship and featured on tap at the Scarlet Lady’s Draught Haus. Virgin Voyages is a “global lifestyle brand” with operations in the U.S., U.K., and Europe and four ships on order with shipbuilder Fincantieri. The first ship, Scarlet Lady, will set sail in 2020 with the ability to host more than 2,700 guests.

Branded beers on cruise ships aren’t a new thing, as Carnival Cruises even runs breweries on some of its ships.

The real question we’re left with is, what do you think it should be named?

Pat Evans
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Pat Evans is a writer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, focusing on food and beer, spirits, business, and sports. His full…
11 Best Oktoberfest Beers From Märzen to Festbier
Woman excited to hold beers.

Although the traditional German celebration has passed, we've still got about two more months of prime Oktoberfest beer drinking to indulge in. The seasonal lager with German roots dates back to the early 1800s. Now, practically every brewery jumps at the opportunity to showcase its take on the historical brew made popular by Crown Prince Ludwig of Saxony Bavaria.

We won't get too deep into the brew's Oktoberfest history. Still, for some background and understanding, two traditional German brewing styles fall into the Oktoberfest category; Märzen and Festbier. Märzen is a malty, dark-amber lager that typically has more alcohol content than most lagers. The beer is rich yet has a clean, dry finish.

Read more
The 17 Best Coffee-Infused Beers To Flip All the Switches
best coffee beers 2021

Sometimes a downer is made all the better with an upper. We're not talking about the heart-racing, stay-up-all-night kinda way a round of Red Bull Vodka’s or Four Loko's might inspire. More like a pleasant coffee-infused beer. The two realms play really well together. Coffee, with its nutty, earthy, citrusy, roasted elements, and an excellent craft beer with its infinite alignments of grain and hops. Because the flavor spectrums are so broad for each element, though, matching the two requires a bit of skill.

In the old days of craft, it was hard to find much beyond a porter or stout being given the roasted bean treatment. Today, coffee is playing award-winning cameos in IPAs and golden ales and showing up in other styles in the forms of cold brew, espresso, and more. Brewers and roasters from all over the country are teaming up to show how their very specific recipes and coffee bean types can combine to create something else entirely. Here are a few worthy of some space in your fridge.

Read more
The 5 Best Patriotic Beers for Celebrating the Fourth of July
best patriotic beers 4th of july to celebrate the fourth

The Fourth of July is that time of the year when we can enjoy a hearty picnic with our compatriots as fireworks adorn the sky. We may not have large gatherings this year, but there’s one thing that will unite the American people: Craft beer. Instead of purchasing beers from companies with American-themed branding, you might as well grab these patriotic craft beers that celebrate the heritage of the United States.
Anchor Brewing Company Liberty Ale
Photo Credit: Ramiro Silva (Flickr) Image used with permission by copyright holder

Perhaps the perfect beer to drink on the 4th of July is Anchor Brewing’s Liberty Ale. It was originally brewed for the bicentennial of Paul Revere’s ride way back in 1875. (You know, that whole "the British are coming” jaunt.) Having been introduced in 1975, Liberty Ale has the distinction of being the first modern IPA and perhaps the true spark of the craft beer boom -- so many other beers wouldn’t be here today without it. Honor the American revolution with a revolutionary beer.

Read more