Dust off your lederhosen and get ready to raise a stein because one of our favorite Blackbird traditions is back this Saturday! Our 4th Annual Oktoberfest takes over the brewery on September 26 for a full day dedicated to German beer, music, food, and plenty of reasons to shout Prost! We’ve always had a deep appreciation for traditional German beer styles, but once a year, we turn that appreciation into an all-out celebration. From special beer releases and live music to stein-hoisting competitions and a taproom full of Oktoberfest spirit, we’re bringing a little slice of Germany to Wake Forest, Blackbird-style.
It’s Tapped! O’zapft is!
If there’s one thing we take especially seriously around here, it’s German beer. Blackbird has become a local destination for traditional German styles, and Oktoberfest weekend is when we get to put that passion on full display. We’ve brewed an especially stacked lineup for the celebration this year, with an impressive number of German-style beers hitting the taps for the weekend. From crisp, easy-drinking lagers to rich, malt-forward classics, this is your chance to taste your way through an entire spectrum of authentic German brewing traditions, all created right here in Wake Forest.
Expect German Pilsners, Altbier, Hefeweizen, Kolsch, Smoked Doppelbock, and, of course, a Festbier. Both our Rauchinator Smoked Doppelbock and Festbier, brewed specifically for this Saturday, were lagered in our horizontal tanks for over 8 weeks following 2 weeks in the fermenters. In total, this means these special-release beers have spent over 10 weeks in tanks preparing for our Oktoberfest celebration. When these beers were first birthed, The Odyssey had just hit theatres, Spain was winning the FIFA World Cup, and we were recovering from our July 4th festivities. Hopefully these examples provide a frame of reference for how long we’ve been preparing and anticipating the big bash to come.
Blackbird Brewery’s Festbier
Each season we’ve experimented further with our traditional Festbier. Last year for the festivities we released Landtoberfest, showcasing local NC-grown WadeFest malt, a tribute to the late Dan Wade, a respected NC brewer and our friend. This year, we decided to go all German with the ingredients. The malt bill is comprised of a blend of pilsner malts that includes BESTMALZ pilsner malt, Weyermann Vienna malt, Weyermann Munich malt, Weyermann Barke malt, and our house pilsner malt. Our typical house malt is a light pils malt from Weyermann Specialty Malts and can be tasted in plenty of our brews, such as Tuxedo at a Pool Party German Pilsner, Pacifica German Pilsner, and almost all of our West Coast IPAs. The BESTMALZ malt creates a breadier, doughy quality, while a splash of the Barke malt brings light pear and apple characteristics. The Vienna and Munich malt help give the Festbier that slightly maltier character that is sought after in the traditional style. The hop rate landed on the slightly higher end for a Festbier thanks to the addition of Perle hops. Perle brings a light bitterness that improves drinkability, along with hints of floral, almost minty hop character to the profile. The ABV ended at a desired 5.9%, perfect for day drinking and Oktoberfest partying. The only thing left to do is wait for one of our beertenders to pour the beer through a Lukr side-pull faucet, let it splash into one of our classic steins, and you’re ready to enjoy this cold, delicious libation.
Rauchinator Smoked Doppelbock
In 2023, we released the Rauchinator, and, oh, has it been requested to return for Oktoberfest. Ian loves to grant wishes, so here we are, finally returning this beauty for the big day. This draft’s malt combination features 30% Weyermann classic pilsner malt, 30% Weyermann Munich malt, 30% Beechwood-smoked malt, and a 10% blend of dark crystal malts and roasted malts to achieve that Doppelbock style. The traditional Beechwood-smoked malt, compared to our most recent Pecan-smoked dark beer, creates a heftier, almost ancient type of smoke. Imagine living in the 1600s and digging a firepit deep in the earth to smoke a beer. Imagine a LARP character’s dream beer. Imagine the medieval emotion of preparing your bow and arrow fireside, readying yourself to pillage the neighboring village. This smoked beer, poured straight out of a time machine, evokes all of these feelings. The smoke presence in Rauchinator balances against malt sweetness, improving the drinkability of this bock base. If you like smoke, this beer is definitely the one for you.
Polka to Party Anthems
No Oktoberfest celebration is complete without the right soundtrack, and we’ve got music lined up from your first pint to the final pour. We’re filling the day with live performances that bring a little traditional German spirit to the party before turning up the energy as the celebration rolls into the evening.
Tom Neuhauser kicks things off from 12pm-2pm with live accordion music, bringing an unmistakably German sound to the taproom and setting the tone for the festivities. From 3pm-6pm, Jimmy Deve grabs his guitar for an acoustic set fueled by his infectious personality and knack for keeping a crowd entertained. Then we’re ending the night with a bang as local celebrity Adam Lee Decker and the Adam Lee Decker Band take over from 7pm-10pm, bringing the full-band energy to carry Oktoberfest straight through the final hours of the night.
Raise ‘Em High
Think you’ve got what it takes to hold your stein high? We’re putting strength, stamina, and a little Oktoberfest pride to the test with our stein-hoisting competitions at 3pm and 5pm! Step up, grab a stein, extend that arm, and see how long you can hold on while the crowd cheers you through every increasingly questionable second. Whether you’re competing for bragging rights or gathering around to watch the showdown, it’s one of our favorite Oktoberfest traditions and always delivers some of the biggest laughs and loudest cheers of the day.
Stick & Poke Beers
The tradition of Stick & Poke Beers is returning to Blackbird for the celebration. Stick & Poke beers are a fun, lesser-known nuance we’ve performed since our first Oktoberfest. However, many don’t know the history behind the act. The Bierstacheln tradition, colloquially called Stick & Poke, is when a heated steel rod is placed in a cold pint of beer. This practice began approximately 400 years ago in Germany as a way to counteract ice cold beer at low temperatures in winter. Often a fire would already be present for warmth and it was convenient to utilize a fire poker. In modern times, this practice has seen a resurgence as a new generation has discovered the benefit of Bierstacheln to create a wholly new flavor profile in beloved beer styles. Typically, the practice is performed on bocks, which is why our festival pairs so well with the demonstration. The red-hot metal reacts with residual sugars in a chilled beverage to produce a Maillard reaction, a chemical process that creates a non-enzymic effect that adds color, aroma, and flavor. In a beer such as our upcoming Blackbird Festbier, this reaction produces caramelized flavors and a whole lot of foam. Want to go all in on the smoke? Order our Rauchinator and experience a full smoke bomb in a stein. It’s highly recommended that you drink about half your beer before surrendering the mug to a blazing poker so that you avoid an overflow of liquid. Ian will be manning the Stick & Poke station once again this year. Grab a brew and enjoy this unique tradition this Saturday!
Oktoberfest’s Feast
Come hungry because one of our favorite food partners, The Butcher’s Market, is bringing the feast to Oktoberfest! They’ll be serving from 12pm-8pm, or until sold out, with a lineup of hearty, Oktoberfest-worthy eats made for pairing with a stein (or two) of Blackbird beer. Trust us, you’re going to want to make room for this Butcher’s Market Menu:
- Blackbird’s Pacifica Infused Cheddar Bratwurst – served with sauerkraut and whole grain mustard on brioche bun
- SmashTober Burger – two smash patties smothered in beer cheese & caramelized onions, on a pretzel bun
- TBM Steak & Cheese – thinly sliced signature steak tips, white American cheese
- Hot Dog – with or without chili, brioche bun
- German Potato Salad
- Gurkensalat – cucumber, dill, sour cream dip with pita chips
See You This Saturday!
So pull out the dirndls, button up the lederhosen, grab your favorite people, and come ready to make a few Oktoberfest memories with us. These are the days we look forward to all year: a packed taproom, steins raised across the table, live music in the background, plenty of laughter, and another season spent celebrating together with our Blackbird family. Oktoberfest only comes around once a year, and we plan on making every toast, every pint, and every ridiculous stein-hoisting moment count. We can’t wait to celebrate it all with you!
