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- Nate McKean (Director of Vermont State Parks), David Hiler (co-owner of Whetstone Beer Co.), Jessie Krust, (Vermont Parks Forever), Maia Segura (Whetstone Brands creative team) at the launch event
The founders of Whetstone Beer in Brattleboro have always been fond of public parks. For the brewery's 10th anniversary last summer, the company rebranded with a motif that mimics the iconic national park travel posters that were created during the New Deal era to ramp up tourism.
It's only fitting, then, that Whetstone's newest project honors the natural spaces in its own backyard. The company plans to brew two limited-edition beers each year that are inspired by Vermont state parks. Dubbed Pints for Parks and launched this month, the project will funnel $1 from every draft beer or four-pack sold to Vermont Parks Forever, a nonprofit that fundraises for park improvements and provides free visitor passes to underserved communities.
Jamaica State Park in southern Vermont, a favorite of the Whetstone founders, is the namesake for this spring's inaugural brew. A Kölsch, the German brew is "warm-fermented and cold-conditioned" in a nod to the tropical island that shares the name of the park and the chilly West River that runs through it, cofounder Tim Brady said. Quechee State Park, and its stunning fall foliage, will inspire the autumnal tipple. The drink may even incorporate ingredients foraged from the park, which is in Hartford.
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"They're very purposeful about it," said Sarah Alberghini Winters, executive director of Vermont Parks Forever. "We're so grateful for this partnership. It's so fun."
Depending on production, Brady said, the project could raise about $10,000 each year. The Jamaica beer has already been a hit, so the company anticipates brewing twice as many barrels of the Quechee beer this fall.
For now, the debut brew is available on draft at Whetstone's taproom or in cans at craft beer stores across the state. Each tallboy has a peel-off sticker on the label that's designed to pay homage to the park. Brady hopes they'll become collectors' items.
It could take a while to amass them all, though. With two of 55 state parks recognized each year, Whetstone will be nearing its 40th anniversary when the last park-themed brew hits the shelves.
Brady did the math, then chuckled.
"There are a lot more parks than I thought," he said.
Correction, May 22, 2023: A previous version of this story misstated the amount per sale that will benefit Vermont Parks Forever.