von Trapp Brewing was founded by Johannes von Trapp – of the famous von Trapp family that inspired the musical “The Sound of Music – inspired by his love for clean, refreshing European-style lagers. When Johannes first came to the U.S. he noticed that the beer market was filled with IPAs and decided to bring lighter, easier drinking Austrian beers to American beer drinkers.
Set on the von Trapp family lodge property in Stowe, VT, the brewery uses fresh mountain spring water found right on their land. Helles, the brewery’s first beer, was designed to be a crisp and refreshing beer to stand in contrast with bitter, hoppy American styles. von Trapp Brewing has grown to offer a wealth of beers that are enjoyed around the country while staying true to their original Austrian roots. This formula has won them the “Brewery & Brewer of the Year” at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival. In 2024, von Trapp Brewing released a West Coast Pilsner to support the Ales for ALS™ program. Brewed with Yakima Chief Hops’ unique Ales for ALS™ hop blend, this beer features juicy flavors with a bitter finish.
Emily Provost, the Marketing Director for von Trapp Brewing, played a key role in getting the brewery signed up in this year’s program. Her connection to ALS is personal – her father has been living with the disease since 2009. This personal experience drives her passion for helping raise funds and awareness for ALS research at ALS TDI through the brewery’s involvement in Ales for ALS™.
“My personal perspective has been that ALS is a terrible, awful disease that I see firsthand all the time,” she says. “But I think joining Ales for ALS has allowed the rest of our team members to understand what the disease is and has helped us get the word out, because it's just not talked about enough. Our participation has definitely spread the word about ALS on our team. Our communications online and in our beer hall have allowed the hundreds of thousands of people who come up to the lodge and the brewery every year to learn about it as well”
During the process, Emily made it clear choosing the right beer for Ales for ALS™ was important. Since von Trapp’s West Coast Pilsners have been crowd favorites in the past, they decided to go with this style to raise awareness for ALS research.
“The beer that we are using for Ales for ALS is a West Coast Pilsner,” she says. “It's brewed with the hops from Yakima Chief. We've previously released it in limited editions, similar to how we've released it again for Ales for ALS, and it has been a smash hit. So that's why we chose it for Ales for ALS™, because we knew it would be well received, and people would order by the barrel. So, it's a little bit different from our regular clean lager line. It is a bit juicier and it's bright. It's got some tropical fruit notes, and it's a little bit dry with a bitter finish, even though it has those sweet notes.”
While the positive feedback from the public has been rewarding, Emily has felt especially moved by the support from her own team at von Trapp Brewing. Having a personal connection to ALS, she was touched to see her coworkers support the cause and genuinely care about raising awareness.
“It’s been really cool to see people write in and thank us for being a part of Ales for ALS™ and thank us for putting a spotlight on the illness,” she says. “From a personal perspective, it was cool to see my entire team at the brewery and at the hotel band together around something that was important to me and have people really care about something that I care about.”
Emily is a strong believer that community involvement is essential for any brand. Emily sees Ales for ALS as a perfect example of how businesses can creatively support meaningful causes and make an impact.
"Every brewery, every brand should work on community outreach and being a part of raising money, when they're able, for causes that mean a lot to them, that mean a lot to their community,” she says. “This is a fun way to do it. You’re getting hops from a cool brand, and you can have creativity brewing a beer that is for a great cause. It’s really a creative and innovative cause that doesn’t take much effort at all to be a part of, but it really makes an impact for the ALS community. I think the more breweries that become a part of Ales for ALS™, the better.”
von Trapp Brewing’s Ales for ALS West Coast Pilsner is now available at their brewery in Stowe. Click here to learn more about von Trapp Brewing.
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