Big Rail Brewing invites you to a to-go local craft beer market.
The region’s drink producers and purveyors have been nothing but creative and quick on their feet as they figure out ways to keep going during the pandemic.
Big Rail Brewing near Grove City is one of the lucky ones, in that it owns several wooded acres near Grove City — they call it “The Property” — where they have been having folks out for beers and bonfires, even before they build a taproom there. They planned to host some other vendors last weekend for a holiday riff on one of their popular outdoor local markets. When the state’s new COVID-19 restrictions went into effect, including limiting outdoor gatherings to 50 people, owner Bill Smith pivoted, as they say, to being open only for sales to go.
People could buy more than cans of Big Rail brews. He’d invited several other local breweries, a distillery and several food trucks to set up under canopies and sell their wares, too.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, people shopped for drinks, food and other merchandise from Clarion River Brewing in Clarion, Erie Ale Works, Union Brothers Brewing near Zelienople and Mortals Key Brewing, as well as Big Rail’s Grover City neighbor, MLH Distillery, and mobile food vendors Steve and Benny’s Chicken Shack from Monaca, Benvenuti’s Pizza Factory from Franklin and Dinner Bell Farms in Volant.
It worked very well, for customers and vendors. Slippery Rock’s Joe Simmons posted on Facebook a photo of his pickup truck’s tailgate covered with booze and food with a “Thanks, support all the vendors.” That’s exactly what he did.
Erie Ale Works’ Jeff McCullor said the event had the opposite effect for him and the beer he drove there: “My load home was a lot lighter than my load down!”
He added, “This is the sort of innovative event that’s needed to get us all through the next month of restrictive holiday selling.”
Big Rail’s Bill Smith says, “It was actually pretty seamless.” It was so successful that he’s doing the to-go market again this weekend.
From 4 to 8 p.m. Friday, customers can come out to support not only Big Rail but also Butler Brew Works, North Country Brewing from Slippery Rock and the Emporio Meatball Truck from Pittsburgh.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Big Rail will be joined by ShuBrew in Zelienople, Croakers Brewing in New Castle, Lost in the Wilds Brewing in Shippenville, Trails to Ales Brewing in Franklin as well as MLH Distillery and Altered State Distillery in Erie, plus Dinner Bell Farms.
Brewers are blessed with being able to use permits to sell at other locations like this, but they also enjoy a spirit of supporting each other not always seen among other business competitors.
“It really does help out everyone,” says Mr. Smith, who was happy to see lots of new customer faces, including from Pittsburgh.
The COVID-19 crisis kept him from opening a brick-and-mortar taproom in these woods this summer/fall, but he still plans to do that. In the meantime, these woods seem made for these times. He’s hoping that COVID-19 cases will decline and restrictions will be lifted so they can resume serving “pints at the property.” But in the meantime, it’s “pickup at the property” for another weekend.
“We’re trying to help everyone else,” he says. “Everyone can make a little money. And we’ll all get through this.”
Big Rail Brewing is located at 2158 Mercer Butler Pike, Grove City, PA 16127. Learn more at https://bigrailbrewing.com.