Alpine Distilling: Thriving in the Ginaissance

Believe it or not, drinkers, gin is on the rise in the United States. The liquor has seen a steady growth in popularity over the past decade, with a stark 187% rise from 2019 to 2024 in super-premium gin consumption. It’s part of what many gin enthusiasts are calling a “ginaissance,” and Park City’s own Alpine Distilling isn’t just riding the wave – it’s defining it. Opening its doors in 2016, Alpine focuses on crafting premium liquors using high-level distilling processes with a major focus on botanical gin. “Gin is great because there are so many possibilities,” says Alpine’s Master Distiller and CEO Sara Sergent. “You can enjoy it over crushed ice or with some tonic or soda. It’s a great low-calorie offering.”

“Instead of focusing on getting the most that we can, I like to focus on getting the best that we can”

Sergent is recognized as the first woman in the United States to specialize in vapor extraction distilling, a complicated process that involves heating alcohol until it vaporizes and is then channeled through botanicals suspended in a basket. This results in a gentler extraction of flavors and aromas, and because the botanicals never come into direct contact with liquid, the process allows for more precision and control over the final flavor profile. “It’s a beautiful way to pull exactly what I want from the botanicals,” Sergent explains. “Instead of focusing on getting the most that we can, I like to focus on getting the best that we can.” Alpine’s dedication to this process is the reason they were able to win London’s prestigious Gin of the Year award in 2021.

The winning gin itself is their Alpine Elevated Gin, a London dry style gin crafted from botanicals that include juniper, coriander, angelica root, cardamom, ginger root and citrus peels. It’s crafted to work well with cocktails or by itself, neat or on the rocks. “When people try our gin for the first time, neat or in a cocktail, they are like, ‘Oh! I do taste ginger. Oh! I do taste cardamom,’” Sergent says. “Instead of a blend, we actually have very accentuated aromas and flavors, which I’m very proud of.”

“We distill like it’s 1870”

While Alpine is proud of their award-winning botanical gin, that doesn’t mean they don’t put the same time and detail into crafting other botanical liquors. Alpine offers darker drinks, like their aged Triple Oak whiskey and their Straight Bourbon, each crafted with carefully measured water amounts and attenuation rates. “We distill like it’s 1870,” Sergent says. “Our whiskeys are very tried and true.” They also offer several liqueurs, including their Preserve, a blood orange liqueur inspired by a sunset Sergent watched over the Swaner Preserve & EcoCenter.

Even with its prestige recognized at an international level, Alpine still takes time to participate in and engage with their hometown, Park City. They offer distilling courses at the lounge in their Social Aid & Pleasure Club, host a number of book and knitting clubs and make sustainable efforts in the community, whether it’s recycling, reusing botanicals for farming efforts or donating their spent grains to Wasatch Resource Recovery for methane fuel.

“Every time we do fail, it gets us that much closer to being great. It’s special because there are so many possibilities.”

With the success Alpine has found in the last decade, a lot of it comes down to being open to experimenting and not being afraid to fail. “Every time we do fail, it gets us that much closer to being great,” Sergent says. This attitude plays a big part in the unique, curated liquors they offer and why they are able to stand out at an international level. “It’s special because there are so many possibilities,” Sergent says. “Anything that has a carbohydrate can be distilled. We can go through a lot of fun exploration.”

In the spirit of experimentation and exploration, Alpine plans to continue to roll out new craft liquors and more offerings at their lounge. They have a single-malt whiskey they plan to release soon and are offering opportunities to create your own unique gin, giving you the chance to join the ginaissance!

Read more coverage on local food and drink artisans by Austin Doty:
Table x Bread: Building the Bakery
David Jimenez & Tastemakers: Crafting Conversations