Supporters Help Choose Waiting for the Train’s Signature Beer
An enthusiastic crowd gathered at Sidetracked Brewery on August 7th to sample several beers and vote on which one will serve as the basis for a signature beer award-winning brewer Joseph Ackerman will craft for Waiting for the Train. (Pictured: Jeffrey Howard, Joseph Ackerman, Mimi Phifer, and Barbara Lynam)
The restoration of passenger train service to western North Carolina feels that much closer.
Well, at least, the grassroots efforts to revive the Asheville-Salisbury line, a route that hasn’t run since the 1970s, are about to become a bit more refreshing.
Waiting for the Train and Sidetracked Brewery have come together to create a new draft to galvanize the region and make passenger rail a reality again.
“I’m thrilled to see so much support for the train in Morganton,” says resident Erin Kizer. “The collaboration with Sidetracked is such a fun way to help spread the message and build momentum at the community level. Restoring passenger rail service to western North Carolina would be an asset to our community.”
Local train enthusiasts were invited to sample several beers at last Wednesday’s “Tasting for the Train” event. Attendees’ taste preferences will inform what award-winning brewer Joseph Ackerman will create for Waiting for the Train’s signature beer.
In its short history, Sidetracked Brewery has garnered numerous accolades.
In fact, Ackerman added four new medals to the microbrewery’s growing collection at the Carolina Championship of Beer during the Hickory Hops Festival in May.
This included:
Gold Medals: Tartle Power Coconut Lime Sour and Medusa Dark Chocolate Stout
Silver Medal: Swallow the Bitter Pils German Pilsner
Bronze Medal: What's a Little Dunkel Between Friends Dunkel Lager
He will carry this momentum as he crafts Waiting for the Train’s signature beer over the next several weeks.
The evening was energetic and optimistic as attendees sampled five varieties of Sidetracked beer. Roughly 80 tickets were sold, doubling the expected turnout, on top of the more than a dozen spirited volunteers who kept libations flowing throughout the event.
People in the foothills look forward to the many benefits a less car-centric future will bring to the region.
“I am excited because it will provide safe and efficient mass public transportation that helps reduce roadway congestion and gives those unable to drive, or without reliable access to a vehicle, an opportunity to commute more broadly and travel more easily,” explains Ellen Langrall, a nearby resident who volunteered for the event. “It is inspiring to see the Morganton community show such support for this cause and Sidetracked Brewery’s involvement in crafting a signature beer for this organization is a brilliant way for them to contribute.”
Each sample was given a number to prevent beer names or flavor profiles from biasing the taste-testing experience. Participants then cast a vote for their favorite beer of the night.
It was a close tally between two candidates but one pulled away toward the end of the night. And that was the brown ale!
For those curious to know what assortments they sampled, here’s the breakdown:
American Blonde Ale
Hefeweizen
Brown Ale
Fruited Sour
West Coast IPA
To be clear: Waiting for the Train’s signature beer will not be exactly the same as the brown ale everyone tasted Wednesday night. Instead, our esteemed brewer will craft a new beer with a similar flavor palette and style.
Which means it’s sure to be a popular one.
The signature beverage is expected to be released at Waiting for the Train’s annual “Drinks at the Depot” event in October held at the Historic Morganton Train Depot, a little more than a hundred feet from Sidetracked Brewery—where we hope it will remain on tap for a long, long time.
Someday in the not-too-distant future, friends will be seated on bar stools at Sidetracked and waiting for the train while enjoying a pint of the very beer that brought passenger rail back to Burke.
Until then, stay alert.
Waiting for the Train and Sidetracked have a bunch of other partnership ideas in the works.
