Drinking this PA beer will now raise money for West Virginia state parks

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — New Tail Brewing Company out of Williamsport, Pennsylvania, has partnered with the West Virginia State Parks Foundation to raise money for parks in the Mountain State, according to a joint press release from the two groups on Thursday morning.

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According to the release, a portion of the money from all in-state sales of New Trail’s “Trail Marker” IPA will now be donated directly to the West Virginia State Parks Foundation (WVSPF). Although not officially tied to the West Virginia State Park system, the WVSPF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that donates money to West Virginia state parks for things like defibrillator units, park benches and other equipment. You can see a list of park items funded by the WVSPF on the organization’s website.

Executive Director of the foundation, Bradley Reed, described the partnership as a “manna from heaven deal” that he hopes will enable the WVSPF to take more of an active role in assisting West Virginia’s state parks. Prior to working with the WVSPF, Reed worked for 35 years in the West Virginia State Park system and is now looking to build more recognition for the state’s public lands.

“Our foundation has been around since 1998, but it’s always taken a very passive approach to supporting state parks,” Reed said in an interview with 12 News. “If you look at states like Florida, they have a foundation that pitches in three, $4 million every single year. And that’s where we want to be. […] It’s really our first big step in that direction.”

New Trail Brewing is a fairly new addition to West Virginia’s craft beer lineup and has only been widely available in the Mountain State for a little over a year. But despite its recent entry, it’s already found a place among two of West Virginia’s most prominent pastimes: college football and outdoor recreation.

When speaking to 12 News, Don Rieck, the marketing director for New Trail Brewing Company, said lending a hand toward outdoor conservation is a core value for the brewery, something that should come as no surprise given the brewery’s name; before Thursday, the brewery already had a similar partnership with the Pennsylvania Parks & Forests Foundation.

When it comes to the beer itself, “Trail Marker” is a west coast style IPA with notes of citrus and pine along with a characteristic “hoppiness” that is found in other India Pale Ale styles. If you’d like to try it for yourself and support West Virginia’s state parks, New Trail beers can usually be found at Kroger or where other craft beer is sold. You can also use the brewery’s “Beer Finder” to see locations where New Trail Brewing Company beer is sold.