Local Beer in Wake Forest, NC

Can I Get A…

Hazy IPA with soft tropical vibes from NZ Motueka, Riwaka, and a little Citra and Mosaic. Bounce wit’ me.

Each team member at Blackbird gets a chance to choose a beer style, work with brewers on the recipe, and spend a day creating it themselves on the brewhouse! This one was Kenne’s turn! He wanted to create Blackbird’s first barrel-aged beer. We made an insanely dark and decadent imperial stout, aged it for 20 months pushing Kenne to the limits of his patience. We then balanced its aged complexity with a fresh pop of flavor by resting it on locally roasted Sunny Days coffee.

This one goes out to all the lovely people celebrating dry January. Did you know that in December each year, breweries receive the new crop of hops from the pacific northwest making January the most ideal month to drink IPA. We’re not trying to tempt you or anything. This one is brewed with the newest crop of Krush, known for its candied pineapple and overall potent character.

This amber lager utilizes our cereal mashing vessel, one of the unique customizations on our brewhouse. We can turn just about any starch into fermentable sugar without the need of malting or pre-gelatinization in a malthouse. 30% of this beer comes from the same white corn flour restaurants use to make their own tortillas. It ended up being extremely challenging to make and both our brewers relied on years of experience to nail each target by the end of the 12 hour process.

I got five on it. Literally five nickels at a time because they’re stuck together. Duct tape doesn’t sub as a coin wrapper, but you don’t know til you know. This sticky icky Pale Ale was brewed the hard way, a long step mash with a single decoction to enhance the malt to help it stand up to the dankest fresh Strata and Idaho #7 hops from the recent harvest. Also did you know a nickel weighs 5 grams? Whoa.

A message from our brewer Mikey: While the holiday season is upon us it’s a firm reminder to slow things down, catch our breath and celebrate the successes and failures of this year coming to a wrap. This is that special reminder to be thankful for the people we have in our lives that make everyday worth living. I’m grateful for all the peers I have in the industry that help me make better beer. My buddy Zac from Marlowe Ales shared his expertise which turned into this recipe. Copious amounts of flaked oats and wheat help give it a soft plush mouthfeel. It’s heavily hopped with mid-harvest Riwaka hops and a splash of Citra. Heaps of ripe tropical fruits bounce wildly on your tongue as you take each sip.

Even thrill seekers like Bodhi need a beer break once in a while. This one uses Citra hops for a bright, lemony, grapefruit, citrus vibe with a supportive dank and resinous undertone from Mosaic. You could jump out of a perfectly good airplane, but it would be a lot easier enjoying a well executed West Coast IPA like this one. Utah, get me two! 6.8% ABV

We’re raising a glass for someone who will always be part of Blackbird Brewery’s story—our friend and former bartender, Kari Hoover. For seven years, Kari faced breast cancer with remarkable strength, and even in the hardest times, she continued to uplift those around her with her vibrant spirit. Kari never got the chance to brew her staff beer, but she always said she wanted it to be pink. This season, we’re making that dream a reality. Crafted with passionfruit, guava, pineapple, and hibiscus. The brew carries a vibrant pink hue that reflects Kari’s kind and joyful personality. 5.5% ABV

A rice lager worthy of legend. Tales of the battles between Habu and Mongoose while enjoying this timeless libation are just where the lore begins. Traditionally brewed using our mash mixer to gelatinize short grain sushi rice. Over half the alcohol in this beer comes from rice and the rest is from pilsner malt. It’s hopped with floral Lorien hops and lagered for several weeks until naturally clarified.

Check out our blog about this deliciously light and delicate beer!

We paid tribute to a cult classic beer made for over 40 years by one of the pioneers of craft brewing. This pleasantly bitter and old school red IPA is dry hopped with freshly harvested whole cone Cascade. It takes about an hour to stuff them into the tank and another hour to get them back out, which is a huge pain in the butt but totally worth it for this special winter time IPA that probably couldn’t be made any other way.

Modern, West Coast IPAs are one of our favorite styles. We went tried and true with the “holy trinity” hops of Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe. Fermented bone dry with balanced bitterness to produce clean, clear hop juice. If you had any doubts before, we are sure they’re gone. Blackbird is your home away from home and where I belong.

Some say it’s always better to be overdressed, but who cares as long as you’re enjoying a beer in a pool. Dress your best, we won’t judge either way. Our pilsners are special beers that require extra steps and know-how on the brewhouse with extended maturation in the cellar. German malt is step mashed then hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Saphir. Naturally carbonated and lagered in horizontal tanks. Perfect for the most formal and informal parties.

Classic German style wheat beer. 50% of this beer is made from wheat grown at Perry Family Farm in Rolesville four miles from the brewery and malted at Epiphany Craft Malt in Durham. Brewed the hard way, this went through five mash steps including two decoctions to get every bit of character these malts have to offer. Naturally carbonated and unfiltered.

This was the very first pilsner we ever brewed and was awarded the bronze at the US Open Beer Championship in 2023. The name is an homage and gentle reminder of our biergarten rules. Eight weeks of tank time, Riwaka and Motueka hops, a pilsner that drinks with cool top notes of lime, citrus, and NZ terroir. Don’t throw rocks!

The classic light and crisp German ale, drinks like a lager but with unique stone fruit, salt cracker and chalky aromas you only find in Kolsch. A special selection of malts and hops we don’t share with our other beers, a special yeast strain, tricky alkaline, and three week cold conditioning to settle into its personality makes this a one of a kind beer style we can’t get enough of.