Alpine Distilling hosts Utah’s first Herb Society gathering, eyes chapter

Alpine Distilling turned its Main Street Social Aid & Pleasure Club into a botanical meeting place on June 19, hosting Utah’s first Herb Society of America gathering in Park City and putting the state on the path toward a new chapter. The event drew gardeners, herbalists, horticulturists, botanical enthusiasts and community leaders into one room around plants, education and collaboration.

The Herb Society of America says its mission is to educate and inspire people to explore the wonder and pleasure of herbs, and it describes itself as a source of well-researched information for gardeners, chefs, herbalists, crafters and hobbyists. The society says it has more than 2,200 members in the United States and six other countries, with 40-plus local units spread across seven membership districts. Its local units are autonomous groups, a structure that gives a Utah branch room to grow if Park City organizers decide to keep building after the first gathering. Lisa-Marie Maryott, the group’s vice president, and Cynthia Sable, the West District delegate, described herbs as far more than kitchen ingredients, pointing to culinary, medicinal, crafting and dye uses.

That broader definition fit the room Alpine assembled. People from Summit Community Gardens + EATS, Swaner Nature Preserve, Acrely Farms, World Trade Center Utah and Coal & Smoke Catering were among those present, underscoring how an herb-centered event can pull together growers, educators, hospitality operators and civic connectors in Summit County. Alpine’s Main Street venue has also been building a profile beyond a single night of programming: Craft Spirits Magazine included the Park City tasting room in its annual Top Tasting Rooms list, one of 46 distilleries nationwide recognized for design, atmosphere, inclusivity, storytelling and community impact.

For co-founder and master botanical distiller Sara Sergent, the gathering matched work she has already made central to Alpine’s identity. She regularly speaks at botanical gardens and works with farmers on ways to use botanicals, and she was Park City’s only 2026 James Beard Award semifinalist, in the Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service category. Sergent also presented Alpine Distilling’s sustainability initiatives at Ginposium 2026 in London on June 12.

The Herb Society event gave Park City a concrete test of whether its niche food and botanical scene can support something more durable than a one-off reception. With a national organization already organized into districts and local units, the question now is whether Summit County can sustain the people, programming and partnerships needed for a Utah chapter to take root.