QANTAS: New onboard Winter menu and drinks, plus Campari at last!

Qantas has just announced its new onboard winter menu and a revamp of its spirit selection. They are talking about a new gin, Campari, and a Tasmanian whiskey. Qantas Creative Director of Food, Beverage, and Service Neil Perry, who received a new ‘Icon’ gong at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards in Las Vegas overnight, has overseen the selections.

New Gins, Campari and Whiskeys

Across all cabins, Qantas is adding Four Pillars Rare Dry Gin. If you are in First Class or the lounges, Qantas is rotating Applewood, Brookies, Peachtree ‘Quokka’ and ‘Bondi’ Gins.

Well, we are two-thirds the way to getting a Negroni on board with the addition of Campari to premium cabins. They have the gins and the Campari. Let’s hope the cabin crew can rustle up a vermouth (preferably red) and some orange garnish.

Lark Classic Cask from Tasmania will hit the First menu, and Starward Nova will be pouring in domestic Business class.

“We began planning for our new spirits selection more than 12 months ago with the intention to offer our customers a more premium choice when they fly with us. With our flights to Rome restarting and Paris taking off soon, a new aperitif is the perfect way to start or end a European summer holiday.”

Phil Capps, Qantas Executive Manager of Product and Service

Business class passengers on international flights will also have a new cognac option, ‘H by Hine’. International First passengers will also have access to Johnnie Walker Green Label, Singleton 15-Year-Old, and Hine’s Rare Cognac.

Onboard and Lounge Winter Menu

Food on Qantas over the last few years has been a bit of a lucky dip, witness my ‘What I ate in Business Class on Qantas‘ post. In the air, you can expect to find these new options:

• Prawn and kimchi dumplings with marinated cucumbers
• Crudités with wattleseed and beetroot dip, native Australian greens and Persian feta
• House-made artichoke fagottini pasta with tomato consommé, peas, scallop and tarragon
• Coconut sticky rice pudding with mango, toasted coconut and sesame

On the ground in the lounges expect to sample

• Hunan-style snapper with pickled and salted chillies
• Duck ragu with soft polenta and green beans agrodolce
• Roast sweet potato with spinach, olive salsa and preserved lemon
• Roasted pear with gingerbread, pecans and yoghurt sorbet

Now, I’m not sure these are all entirely new. I’m sure I had that roasted pear and gingerbread in the Melbourne First lounge in 2023 on my way to Auckland.

2PAXfly Takeout

I’ll have to wait to sample the international options, until closer to the end of winter. I might get to sample some of the amended lounge options before then though. As they say, a change is as good as a holiday, and for very regular Qantas travellers, these changes will be a relief.