Oktoberfest isn’t just about tents and steins—it’s about the beer styles that have carried German brewing traditions across centuries and continents. From malty lagers to crisp pilsners and wheat-driven classics, these beers were built for community, celebration, and fall evenings that call for something hearty yet refreshing.
We take pride in honoring those traditions while adding a touch of our own creativity. This year’s Oktoberfest Celebration on October 4th features a beer lineup that blends timeless German styles, locally rooted ingredients, and a few surprises that showcase brewing as both an art and a craft.
From Royal Wedding to World’s Biggest Beer Bash: The Origin of Oktoberfest
Here at Blackbird Brewery, we raise our steins to traditions that start with love and end in lager—and Oktoberfest is the king (literally) of them all. The story kicks off in 1810, when Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria decided to throw a wedding bash so epic, folks are still partying over two centuries later. After saying “I do” to Princess Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen, Ludwig invited the whole city of Munich to celebrate—with food, festivities, and a raucous horse race that closed out the weeklong revelry.
Spoiler alert: the party was such a hit, they made it an annual thing. So when you join our epic Oktoberfest bash, know you’re taking part in a 200-year-old tradition born from royal romance, Bavarian pride, and a shared love of good beer.
Introducing Landtoberfest: Our Take on a Traditional Landbier
This year, we took a different path with our Oktoberfest release. Instead of leaning into the Festbier style we’ve brewed in the past, we crafted something with deeper roots—our Landtoberfest, a Landbier built on local malt and old-world inspiration.
A Nod to History
In Germany, brewers once relied solely on what was available in their own backyards. That meant beer wasn’t just a drink—it was an expression of place, shaped by the land itself. Landbier, which translates to “country beer,” carried that sense of origin and pride. These beers were known for being light, balanced, and endlessly drinkable, with notes of biscuit, bread, and subtle spice from the hops. At their core, they were about showcasing local terroir.
Bringing It Home
Our Landtoberfest follows in that same spirit. The malt was sourced just down the road from our friends at Epiphany Craft Malt, and it carries a story of its own. The late Dan Wade (owner of Wooden Robot) and Sebastian Wolfrum (owner of Epiphany Craft Malt) dreamed of creating a North Carolina-grown malt that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the traditional festbier malts of Bavaria. Out of that vision came WadeFest malt, named in Dan’s honor—a strain of Avalon 2-Row Winter Barley that’s still evolving as it continues to be cultivated locally.
For Landtoberfest, we paired WadeFest malt with Perle hops and brewed it using a step mash process. After lagering patiently in our horizontal tanks since July, the result is a beer that pours with rustic malt character—biscuity, bready, and full of warmth—balanced by a crisp, easy-drinking body. Subtle spice from the Perle hops adds just the right nuance, making it both flavorful and refreshing. At 5.9% ABV, it’s built for savoring but crafted with sessionability in mind.
Landtoberfest is more than a seasonal beer—it’s a tribute to local craft, shared history, and the idea that great flavor starts close to home.
Our Returning German-Style Favorites
The Rhine Altbier
Smooth, balanced, and no-frills—just how Düsseldorf intended. This copper-toned beauty pays homage to its namesake, the Rhine River, with a malt-forward profile built on rich Munich malt and just a hint of crystal sweetness. Noble German hops add a crisp bite, while cool fermentation with a clean ale yeast keeps things easy-drinking and clean. A true classic for fans of amber ales who don’t want the fuss, just the flavor.
Perry’s Epiphany Hefeweizen
This Hefe is hyper-local and deeply traditional. Crafted with wheat grown just four miles away at Perry Family Farm and malted by Epiphany in Durham, we went full old-school with a five-step mash and two decoctions—because character doesn’t come easy. Unfiltered and naturally carbonated, it’s a smooth, banana-clove beauty that honors German tradition while staying rooted in our Carolina soil.
Tuxedo at a Pool Party German Pilsner
Crisp, refined, and unexpectedly fun—kind of like wearing a tux to a backyard cannonball contest. This German-style Pilsner is all about precision: step-mashed German malt, delicately hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Saphir, and cold-lagered in horizontal tanks for weeks. Naturally carbonated and impeccably clean, it’s the perfect companion for both classy affairs and casual hangs.
Blackbird Kölsch
This is our take on one of Germany’s most underappreciated gems. Our Kölsch is light, crisp, and easy-drinking, but don’t let that simplicity fool you—it’s built on a foundation of precision. We use a special malt and hop combo you won’t find in any of our other beers, along with a classic Kölsch yeast strain and a tricky alkaline water profile to nail the traditional flavor. Expect subtle notes of stone fruit, saltine crackers, and that clean, chalky finish that sets the style apart. After fermentation, we give it three weeks of cold conditioning to let everything settle into place. It’s the kind of beer that disappears from your glass before you realize it.
Perry’s Revelation Weizenbock
This is what happens when a Hefeweizen levels up for fall. Perry’s Revelation is brewed with a generous portion of local red wheat from Perry Family Farm, plus Vienna and Belgian Special B malts for a deeper, richer malt profile. The result? A smooth, copper-colored wheat beer with layers of caramel, dark fruit, and just the right amount of yeast-driven spice. It’s bold but balanced, flavorful without being heavy, and perfect for those cooler evenings when you want something with a little more character in your glass. Still easy to drink—just a little more contemplative.
A Toast to Tradition and Taste
Every beer in this lineup is more than a pour—it’s a piece of history, brewed with intention and shared with community. Whether you’re diving into a malt-forward Altbier, savoring the delicate balance of a Kölsch, or exploring our brand-new Landbier, you’re experiencing flavors that connect the past to the present.
Raise your glass, take a sip, and let the season’s best traditions fill your stein. Prost to fall, to craftsmanship, and to the beers that make Oktoberfest unforgettable.
