Shining a spotlight on celebrities and athletes who love to travel
Tyler Zielinski, the celebrated drinks writer and bartender, has made a name for himself by celebrating the bold flavors of small-format cocktails in his book Tiny Cocktails. Partnering with Wheels Up, Zielinski has taken his craft to the skies creating in-flight drinks tailored to altitude, limited space, and heightened luxury expectations. The Overhead Compartment was excited to sit down with Zielinski and learn how the best cocktails—and conversations—can happen at 30,000 feet.
The Overhead Compartment with Tyler Zielinski starts now…
OC: What inspired you to explore the tiny-cocktail movement?
TZ: Drinking habits have shifted a lot over the past decade. One of the biggest changes has been the proliferation of low-and-no-ABV drinks in cocktail bars, as well as cocktail lovers preferring quality over quantity. Tiny cocktails are all about enjoying more flavor without the unnecessary overindulgence. It’s a format that lends itself well to the way cocktail culture and consumer preferences have evolved, and I saw the potential of what smaller portions could bring to modern-day drinking.
OC: How did your book Tiny Cocktails influence the way you approached this in-flight program with Wheels Up?
TZ: Tiny Cocktails has been the focus of most of the work I’ve done with Wheels Up, particularly through our tiny drink-led “Up Minibar” pop-ups which we activate at key events throughout the year, including at the upcoming Cayman Cookout in Grand Cayman, so it’s been instrumental. Tiny cocktails are the ideal format for drinking in flight because of the limited storage, smaller service space, short flight times, and even the types of bolder drinks that lend themselves well for small format, which also have functional appeal for imbibing in-flight.
OC: What makes the private aviation cabin such a distinctive setting for cocktail design?
TZ: It’s arguably the most difficult setting to design cocktails for, which makes it an exciting challenge. There’s a heightened expectation of luxury and personalization in private aviation, so the quality of the execution must be as elevated as the rest of a Wheels Up flier’s journey. We’re navigating the interesting challenges around imbibing in the sky, like how to source and stock the products needed to create memorable cocktail experiences. Even things guests may not immediately think of as a hurdle, like not having access to certain types of ice, are part of the thought process when creating the in-flight drinks.
I also need to consider how the perception of flavor changes in flight due to the altitude. Taste and smell is dulled; sweetness and bitterness are muted, while acidity and umami become more prominent. As a result, the ingredients I curate for cocktails in-flight often require brighter acidity, potent aromatics, or subtle salinity. Imbibing in the sky isn’t ideal for delicate flavors, so the setting itself drives the creative process to a certain degree.
OC: How do altitude and shorter flight times shape the flavors and formats you choose?
TZ: While we offer a couple Wheels Up signature cocktails in standard portion sizes, we opted for in-flight cocktails to be purely tiny in format — obviously that’s my thing, but it also makes practical sense. Shorter flight times means that members might be able to enjoy two tiny cocktails as opposed to one standard sized one — this gives flavor hunters who want to taste lots an opportunity to have a more robust cocktail experience on board.
OC: Are there particular flavor profiles or spirits that perform especially well at altitude?
TZ: Sweetness and bitterness are especially dampened in-flight due to the altitude, so salt, acid, and umami are characteristics and flavors that lend themselves well for mile-high drinking.
OC: What excited you most about collaborating with Wheels Up on this program?
TZ: It’s not every day you have the opportunity to curate cocktails for people to enjoy in flight. We travel for many reasons, but when it’s not for business it’s typically for a special trip — to create memories with friends and family. Usually bartenders and cocktails are a part of a traveler’s journey after they arrive at their destination — for Wheels Up, I’m connecting with travelers in transit which is particularly special. To think there’s a possibility the best cocktail a member might have on their trip was at 30,000 feet on a Wheels Up flight, rather than at a destination cocktail bar, is pretty cool. It makes the journey as compelling as the destination, which is the essence of what Wheels Up strives for.
OC: What do you hope guests feel the moment they take their first sip at altitude?
TZ: Our guests and members should take their first sip of one of the cocktails available to them and feel like they want the jet to do another lap around the airport because the best bar they’ll drink at that day is in the sky.
OC: When you’re not designing cocktails, what inspires your creative palate?
TZ: I find most of my inspiration in food, drinking at the world’s best bars and learning which ingredients and techniques they’re using, as well as music, art, and history. As a drinks writer and author, I’m always on the hunt for knowledge and inspiration, most of which I’m lucky enough to gather while traveling.
OC: Complete the following sentence: I never leave home without…
TZ: Carmex lip balm, haha. Gonna keep it real.
Tyler Zielinski, please use care upon departure as items may have shifted in The Overhead Compartment during our journey. Thanks for choosing us for your travel tips! Have a wonderful day!
