Yosemite may be stunning, and Yellowstone might be unforgettable, but has one hard-to-beat attraction going for it: its very own microbrewery.
Earlier this year, became the first brewery to produce beer within a national park. It鈥檚 also the first brewery to use water piped directly in from a local hot springs.
鈥淗ot Springs National Park is unique because the water from the springs is potable,鈥 says Rose Schweikhart, owner of the brewery. 鈥淧eople think the water here would be hard, cruddy water, but it鈥檚 very, very pure. When we moved here and I found out it was potable I thought, someone needs to make a beer with the hot springs water!鈥
As an avid home brewer (he's also a professional tuba player) Schweikhart decided to make a go of it. At the time, Hot Springs National Park was actively seeking out tenant businesses in an attempt to revitalize its historic bathhouses. See, in the first half of the twentieth century, Hot Springs, Arkansas, was a favorite destination for tourists wanting to soak in the naturally hot water. Private bathhouses, where patrons would lounge in personal tubs, lined the streets of Central Avenue in the town of听Hot Springs.
鈥淲hen we moved here and I found out it was potable I thought, someone needs to make a beer with the hot springs water!鈥 says brewery owner Rose Schweikhart.
鈥淯nfortunately the bathing industry started to decline after the war,鈥 says Josie Fernandez, the park superintendent. Eventually the businesses closed and the buildings鈥攎any of which were beautiful examples of Victorian-style architecture鈥攚ere left vacant. 听At one time there were eight stately bathhouses making up Bathhouse Row, but a decade or so ago the area was falling into disrepair. 鈥淭here were six vacant buildings that needed to be rehabilitated when I arrived,鈥 Fernandez says. She adds that finding tenants to restore them 鈥渉as been where my energies have been focused since I arrived.鈥澨
Both Schweikhart and Fernandez thought a brewery that utilized the hot springs鈥 water might be a perfect fit. But in true government fashion, bringing the concept to fruition took a long time鈥攏early three years. In January, Schweikhart finally served her first batch of hot springs brew.听
The water brings terroir to Schweikhart鈥檚 beer, much the way the ales of northern England get some of their character from the salt content of the local water. If nothing else though, having pre-heated water running directly through her pipes offers a considerable energy savings. 鈥淭he water comes in at 140 degrees and traditionally we鈥檇 heat it up to 170 degrees, so it鈥檚 a huge time saver,鈥 Schweikhart says. She鈥檚 even making a beer鈥攁 blonde stout鈥攖hat uses the water at its exact temperature. 鈥淲e鈥檙e basically trying to come up with our own unique beer style.鈥
Fernandez says that the brewery, taproom, and accompanying restaurant have been the hit she hoped for when the contract was approved. Superior Bathhouse has even become a favorite spot for park employees. 鈥淚 frequent the Superior Bathhouse as a customer regularly,鈥 Fernandez says, adding that she generally asks for the staff to 鈥渟urprise her鈥 with a new beer if it鈥檚 after business hours.
America鈥檚 National Parks remain our country鈥檚 best ideas, but adding breweries in parks where it鈥檚 culturally appropriate and where commercial operations make sense? That sounds like America鈥檚 next best idea.听