Small Town Stories: Alpine Distilling

Blend a Scotland-based gin education with a Kentucky distilling background and a love for the Utah mountains, and you get a uniquely Park City cocktail: the Sara and Rob Sergent family. “I earned my diploma in Gin in Edinburgh and the Royal Botanical Gardens,” says Sara, a native Michigander. “I chose Scotland because it is the most innovative home for new gins.”  This fall, Sara’s London Gin received the Gin of the Year Gold Medal, awarded by Europe’s most discerning gin buyers.

Kentuckian Rob’s family hails from rural farm families. “When you live in Kentucky and grow corn, distilling is standard practice,” he laughs.

The two met and married in New Orleans. After Rob’s stints working for the NFL and as a Johnson and Johnson exec, the family headed west. “Sara came to Utah as a college runner and fell in love with the mountains and weather,” Rob recalls. “My grandparents moved to Utah in the 80s. Sara and I naturally gravitated to Park City.”

Once here, “we wanted to contribute to our community through responsible stewardship of a small business,” Sarah recalls. “But our primary role is as parents.”

Winners of 2021 Utah Green Business Award, Rob says Alpine Distilling practices waste diversion, sustainable sourcing in botanicals and packaging, and careful water management. “We strive to help Swaner Nature Preserve, Recycle Utah, Park City Education Foundation and others from whom we have learned so much.”

As for their unique, award-winning products, Sara says, “We are flavorists, curating grains, woods, berries, fruits, and roots that mirror Park City values: adventurous, innovative, and authentic.”

Visit alpinedistilling.com to order the Sergent’s one-of-a-kind gins, whiskies and liqueurs. It’s a fantastic way to greet the New Year with a distinctively Park City flavor!