How Distiller Sara Sergent Is Elevating Craft Spirits and Local Culture

The James Beard Foundation (JBF) Patrons are a community of supporters that believe in our mission of Good Food for Good™ including food lovers and the creative people behind the plate. In this series, we’re highlighting Patron Program members who are working to improve our food system and embody our mission.

Meet Sara Sergent, a JBF Patron and co-founder of Alpine Distilling in Park City, Utah. Sergent and her husband run a unique distillery and the Park City Social Aid & Pleasure Club lounge where they bring together craft spirits and a vibrant community. In 2024, she participated in Platform by JBF, showcasing her commitment to supporting local chefs and elevating connections through food and drink. We spoke with Sergent about her journey in the distilling world—and the importance of community and sustainability in her work.

JBF: What led you to become a Patron of the James Beard Foundation?

Sara Sergent: My journey with the Foundation started a few years ago at a JBF fundraiser in Park City, where I was on cocktail duty. Witnessing how the Foundation builds awareness in the culinary industry inspired me to get more involved. I had the incredible opportunity to participate in five activations at Platform by JBF, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a culmination of years of behind-the-scenes efforts. JBF’s work in recognizing individuals who elevate time with friends and family through food and drink is deeply meaningful, and it celebrates the culture of gathering over meals—so I decided to become a Patron and look forward to many more years of partnership.

JBF: How was the Platform experience with the Park City Area Restaurant Association meaningful to you?

SS: The opportunity came through an invitation from the Park City Restaurant Association, a tremendous organization that promotes and supports the local food and beverage scene. It was an incredible honor to collaborate with them and work alongside four amazing restaurants to incorporate our products. For example, chef Zane Holmquist, who’s been connected to JBF for many years, collaborated with us many years ago on our aquavit for the Stein Eriksen Lodge. At Platform, we even created a large ice sculpture with the aquavit floating inside, paired with our barrel-aged bourbon coffee. Our spirits were also incorporated into desserts, making each event truly special. We essentially camped out at Platform for the week, which was an incredible experience!

JBF: Can you share the story of opening Alpine Distilling?  

SS: We officially opened Alpine Distilling in 2016, but the journey started years earlier. Our first spirit, the Preserve Liqueur, remains one of our flagship products today. The idea for it came one evening as my husband and I sat on our back porch overlooking the Swaner Nature Preserve and I said, "let’s turn the sunset into flavor.”  

We drew inspiration from the colors over the mountains: blood orange, black tea, candied raspberry, lemon balm, and ginger. The result was Preserve Liqueur, which also serves as a fundraiser for the Swaner Nature Preserve, home to 217 species of birds. Our connection to community is essential. My husband and I met and married in New Orleans, and we lost everything during Hurricane Katrina. That experience taught us the importance of caring for your community, which is central to us at Alpine. Creating Preserve Liqueur allowed us to capture the beauty of our backyard while giving back in a meaningful way.

JBF: How did your respective backgrounds play into what you’ve been able to build and create?

SS: My husband, Rob, oversees the whiskey side of our business. He’s a Kentucky Colonel for his work in bourbon distillation and studied and distilled in Kentucky before we opened Alpine Distilling. He distills like it’s 1870—producing a barrel a day at most—which keeps our whiskey very bespoke. As for me, I studied in Scotland and hold a diploma in gin. What I find especially fulfilling is running our custom gin-making classes through our lounge. It’s like adult arts and crafts: a chef’s table experience, but for distilling. Guests select botanicals, taste and dry them, and then I distill their selections in individual copper pot stills; two and a half hours later, they leave with their own custom bottle of gin. It’s a great way to showcase our spirits while offering a hands-on experience that connects people to the craft.  

JBF: What does the research and development look like for you and your team when creating another gin?   

SS: It’s always an adventure! Developing a spirit like our Alpine Elevated Gin took years of making and tweaking before it hit the market. Our AngeVert Herbal Liqueur, which has gained traction across markets and food scenes nationwide, took two years of experimentation—testing mini batches, seeing how it stands alone, and how it works in cocktails.

What sets us apart is our lounge— which acts as a test kitchen for our spirits. It allows us to showcase applications, offering guests 20 different ways to use a spirit in premium takes on classic cocktails, making the R&D process interactive and innovative.

JBF: JBF is deeply committed to advocating for a more sustainable and resilient food system. How have you integrated those elements into your approach to distilling?

SS: We’ve been honored to be recognized as a Green Business of the Year by the state of Utah, which reflects our commitment to sustainability. From the beginning, we designed our distillery infrastructure to minimize consumption and waste, focusing on water conservation, efficient grease traps, and working with local vendors. We’ve implemented a robust recycling program at the distillery, ensuring anything recyclable—glass, cardboard, or cans—is processed. When our barrels are finished, we repurpose the staves for smoking bourbon maple pecans and honey. We even transformed the barrels into serving platters at Platform by JBF! Our team is fully committed to sustainability and constantly comes up with creative ideas to improve our efforts, making environmental responsibility central in everything we do.

JBF: Of your many awards to date, which have been the most professionally and personally significant?

SS: Professionally, winning 2021 Gin of the Year in London and being named a warden rectifier in the London Gin Guild has been incredibly meaningful. Creating gin outside of the UK and being recognized as producing the best gin in the world is a tremendous honor.  

On a personal level, spending a week at Platform was incredibly moving. Working with chefs from start to finish—and showcasing our spirits in innovative ways beyond cocktails, like incorporating them into desserts, soups, marinades, and vinegars—was an unforgettable experience; it doesn’t get any better than that.

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Janae Butler is manager of development operations at the James Beard Foundation.