Whip raises glasses, funds for conservancy

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Mindful of their history, the owners of the Whip Tavern in West Marlborough are committed to raising funds for the Brandywine Conservancy. Photos courtesy of the Whip Tavern.

More than 7,500 glasses were raised at The Whip Tavern last year that celebrated the popular watering hole’s bucolic surroundings while also raising funds for the Brandywine Conservancy.

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A cider that pays homage to the Whip Tavern's foxhunting heritage deserves a special tap handle, the owners decided, commissioning a design reminiscent of a split-rail fence.

The conservancy received a check for $3,772 from sales of “For Fox Sake,” a private-label house cider. Made from apples that are grown, pressed, and fermented at Big Hill Ciderworks in Adams County, the cider has no added sugars or flavors. Thus, it serves as a perfect complement to the tavern’s natural vistas, which owe their existence to the conservancy.

The Whip Tavern in West Marlborough Township sits on ground once dominated by the 5,400-acre King Ranch property, which also included land in East Marlborough, Newlin, and East Fallowfield Townships. The property had been occupied by 5,000 cherry-colored Texas steer before it was permanently protected by the Brandywine Conservancy, which engineered one of the largest private land conservation projects in Pennsylvania history.

“We raise a glass to toast the Whip Tavern for their support of our open space and clean water programs," said Virginia A. Logan, the executive director of the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art. "They have found a delicious way to advance our important work, and we are truly grateful.”

From March 15 through Dec. 31, fifty cents from each Imperial pint of For Fox Sake cider generated the funds for the conservancy. Owners K.C. Kulp and Luke A. Allen have partnered with the conservancy since the tavern opened in 2005. However, the advent of the cider – an unconventional response to a corporate takeover – provided an easy, trackable way to support the region’s equestrian heritage.

Kulp explained that after Heineken USA purchased Strongbow Cider, the Whip’s former house pour, the corporate giant decided to alter the recipe, sweetening the cider in 2013. The change prompted Kulp and Allen to begin a quest to develop a replacement that took them to Big Hill Ciderworks in Gardner, Pa. The result: a fruit-forward, off-dry English-style cider.

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Fifty cents from the sale of each Imperial pint of 'For Fox Sake' goes to the Brandywine Conservancy.

In keeping with a British sense of humor, the name playfully references the Whip’s continuing commitment to the Brandywine Conservancy, Kulp said. "It's fun to say aloud at the bar and also gets people to blush in a fun way," he said. Moreover, it pays homage to the pub's location in the heart of Chester County horse country, he added.

"We're so blessed to have an organization like the conservancy protecting open space," Kulp said. "We're happy to be a part of making that happen."

The Whip Tavern is open Wednesday through Monday from 11 a.m. to midnight. Although the Whip sells malt and beer, it is BYOB for liquor or wine and charges a small corking fee. To keep the tavern casual, reservations are not accepted, but sitting by the fire with a pint of cider while waiting for a table is definitely encouraged.

 

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