CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kicking it old school has never been so tasty: Birdsong Brewing will release Rewind Lager on June 2, just in time for the warm summer months.
“Craft lagers are a bit of a throwback style, so we’re kind of ‘winding back the tape’ and reintroducing a style to our customers that’s a bit retro,” said principal owner Chris Goulet. “We’re always looking for ways to enhance our line-up and a crisp clean lager was something that fit really well with our other offerings.”
Rewind Lager is the creation of head brewer Conor Robinson. He started working on the recipe as a “research project,” Goulet said. “We’ve done three different pilot versions to really hone in on the recipe.”
This isn’t Birdsong’s first entry in the lager rodeo, though the style is definitely having a moment in craft beer. In 2016, the brewery created Shake a Leg, which was more of steam beer style. Rewind has roots in the more classic Czech Pilsner family, Goulet says. “We have to really love the recipe and it’s nice when it crosses over with a growing category.”
Rewind Lager uses Sterling and Saaz hops and clocks in at 4% ABV (alcohol by volume), 22 IBU (International Bitterness Units), for a crisp, clean easy drinking, classic lager profile.
“I think customers are looking for balance in their drinking habits,” Goulet said. “Big IPAs and Stouts are awesome, but sometimes a straightforward sessionable beer hits the spot.”
The eye-catching label art for Rewind Lager — a cassette tape being wound by a pencil — was created by artist Jackie Hurd, and will soon debut on new T-shirts in the taproom. As the label says: “Cassette tapes and vinyl might be old school, but classic never goes out of style.”
About Birdsong Brewing Company
Founded in 2011 from humble roots, Birdsong Brewing Co. has grown to become the Charlotte destination for culinary-inspired, super-fresh, unfiltered, American-style ale. Using locally-sourced ingredients and fully embracing musical (and sometimes whimsical) inspiration, Birdsong celebrates creativity with a new, weekly small batch release in the taproom every “Thursty Thursday.” Beloved by locals and sought-after by fans across the Carolinas, the third oldest and third largest brewery in the Queen City moved in 2015 to a 17,000-sq-ft building in Charlotte’s Belmont neighborhood. The 30-barrel brewhouse and taproom embodies the #CanDoWillDo philosophy behind what Birdsong brews, thinks and believes. For more information, visit birdsongbrewing.com