Proctor Maple Research Center is March's Green State for Good partner at Zero Gravity. This means that PMRC will receive a donation of $1 for every Green State Lager sold at their beer hall on Pine Street during March.

This donation is the culmination of a productive collaboration between the local brewery and UVM’s world-renowned maple research center in Underhill, VT. On March 7th, the Zero Gravity staff volunteered for a day at PMRC. They helped check for line leaks and learned a little about maple sugaring. 

Two brewers in a maple forest with snow shoes surrounded by sap tubing

Zero Gravity brewers are also brewing a new beer with Proctor Maple Syrup, which they will enter into Lawson’s Maple and Chili Festival. The Zero Gravity brewer Jordan Edgar describes the resulting maple beer this way, 

“This beer was brewed with Grade A dark, robust maple syrup. It pours a deep mahogany to dark brown color, crowned with a dense, tan head. The aroma is rich with toasty biscuit notes, complemented by layers of toffee and caramelized sugar. Hints of cocoa, dark chocolate, and dried fruits add depth, while a subtle smokiness from the cherrywood smoked malt lingers in the background. The beer offers a smooth and silky mouthfeel on the palate with a slight, dry finish.”

Man at a map explaining

The new Director of PMRC, Tim Rademacher, is delighted by the opportunity to work with the local craft beer community, 

“Both brewing beer and making maple syrup have deep cultural roots and a rich history, yet they continue to evolve. Coming from Germany, I naturally discovered beer long before maple syrup, but it’s exciting to bring the two together to learn from each other. Beyond our shared passion for creating a sustainable local product, there are also some surprising technical parallels. In fact, a modern sugarhouse contains almost as much stainless steel as a brewery, and we are both getting increasingly obsessed with sanitation.”

The plan for the money raised by the collaboration perfectly completes this virtuous cycle. The funds will be used to support a summer stipend for a UVM student who will study the impact of maple sugaring on biodiversity.

The two organizations will host a joint event open to the public on March 27th  from 5:00-7:30PM at the Zero Gravity beer hall to celebrate the collaboration.  More details can be found on the PMRC Facebook event page.

People inside a sugarhouse getting a tour