PARK CITY, Utah — Alpine Distilling, the award-winning botanical distillery led by Sara Sergent, announces the launch of Forager by Alpine Distilling, a first-of-its-kind mobile app now available on the Apple App Store.
Forager represents a category-defining platform in the spirits industry, a botanical discovery experience designed to teach flavor through sensory engagement rather than theory. With this launch, Alpine Distilling becomes the only distillery to extend its expertise into a consumer-facing digital ecosystem dedicated entirely to botanical intelligence and memory-driven learning, marking a significant evolution in how spirits brands connect with consumers.
Alpine Distilling has never followed traditional industry models. It stands apart as the only distillery operating at the intersection of botanical science, culinary application, and immersive hospitality, now expanded into technology through Forager. At the center of this work is Sara Sergent, a James Beard Award semifinalist and the first gin distiller ever nominated in the beverage service category. Her work has redefined what it means to lead within the spirits industry—not simply producing spirits, but integrating them into broader culinary systems through collaboration with chefs, development of beverage programs, and the creation of experiences that move seamlessly between glass and plate.
Sergent’s approach is grounded in a global botanical perspective shaped by years of study, travel, and leadership. As a member of the North American Herb Society and the Scottish and Irish Botanical Society, she is also set to host the 2027 North American Herb Society Summit, further reinforcing her leadership within the international botanical community. Her work has taken her through botanical gardens in Kyoto and London, into advanced study and training in Scotland, including work connected to the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and across the United States from Miami to Chicago to Los Angeles, building a perspective that informs both her distillation and her broader philosophy of flavor.
That philosophy aligns closely with the James Beard Foundation’s mission, where Sergent has become an active contributor and participant. As a James Beard Award semifinalist, she has been featured in multiple high-profile activations at the Platform by James Beard, James Beard programming in Park City, JBH Member Spotlight, and the opening benefit dinner for Aspen Food & Wine 2025. Across these engagements, Sergent has demonstrated a rare ability to integrate spirits into the culinary conversation in a way that is both educational and inclusive, expanding how beverage is understood within the broader food ecosystem. Forager is a direct extension of this work, translating those same values of accessibility, education, and experiential understanding into a format that can reach a global audience.
Forager transforms botanicals into a sensory adventure through an immersive world of seven interactive games, a curated botanical library, flavor profiles, and a refined cocktail catalog. Designed from the perspective of a distiller, each element invites curiosity and play, encouraging users to explore botanicals not just as ingredients, but as stories waiting to be discovered.
Now available as a complimentary download on the Apple App Store, Forager offers an experience that is both educational and deeply personal. It guides users through a progression from Seedling to Master Forager, building a living “botanical passport” that tracks ingredients, regions, and individual flavor experiences over time. Rather than functioning as static content, the app encourages ongoing engagement, pairing botanical discovery with application through cocktails and culinary use, all grounded in Sergent’s expertise and perspective. The result is not simply information, but a practical experience that reshapes how individuals understand what they taste and how they connect to it.
About Alpine Distilling
Since its founding, Alpine Distilling has distinguished itself as more than a distillery. It is a botanical innovation house and experiential platform, known for its use of 100% vapor extraction and globally sourced ingredients, creating more than 2,000 custom gins, and recognized internationally with honors including “Gin of the Year” 4X Best Craft Distillery by USA Today, and multiple Platinum & Double Gold awards. With Forager, the company takes its next step, evolving from a premium spirits producer into a global platform for botanical understanding and extending its reach from the glass into everyday life.
With Forager, the company takes its next step, evolving from a premium spirits producer into a global platform for botanical understanding and extending its reach from the glass into everyday life.