Blackbird brings beer and wine to menu

White Chocolate Mocha. Cinnamon Dulce Latte. Fogle Chi. Beer?

Blackbird Coffee will soon add alcohol to their beverage choices after acquiring an alcohol license — a two-part process requiring both city and state approval. Blackbird has already received approval from the city of Milledgeville, and should receive approval from the state in the next few weeks, according to one of the shop’s managers Michael Packard.

The license will be used only for beer and wine, Blackbird will not be serving any liquor. Owner Jimmy Holder said the shop will carry between four and five beers, as well as four or five wines to be sold by the glass.

“The reasoning behind that is just that we have a lot of people who enjoy our atmosphere in the evening, and want something besides caffeine to consume that late at night,” Holder said. “We feel like it’s going to be a nice addition to Blackbird.”

This addition will not see a change in the shops hours as of now.

“It was an idea that we have been throwing around for a while,” Packard said. “We’ve been open for six years now and to be a successful business you have to evolve and keep things fresh.”

Packard expects the atmosphere to remain comfortable, relaxing and intimate, however, customers will now have more beverage options.

“The main thing is that we don’t want this place to turn into a bar,” Packard said. “Serving alcohol sometimes comes with trouble, but we will have no tolerance for calamity.”

Blackbird will offer a different kind of environment for a casual drink than what is currently available downtown.

“We’re not by any means trying to compete with some of the bigger bars downtown,” Holder said. “This is more of a place you can come and have a beer, a glass of wine and socialize with friends in a different setting.”

Students seem to support this augmentation of Blackbird’s menu.

“I think that if the clientele accepts the universal idea of a coffee shop then they will really appreciate Blackbird’s willingness to adapt as an important fixture in the community,” said Emily Davidson, a graduate student studying secondary education. “I study here because they know what they’re doing with coffee, and because I feel at home here. I don’t think any of that will change when they start offering other options.”

Junior nursing major Jesika Day often studies at Blackbird and was also in favor of the additions.

“It’s cool that they’re offering variety,” Day said.

The staff and management at Blackbird began talking about adding alcohol to the menu last August, but progress began around Christmas. After the two-part approval process, the next step involves talking to distributors.

“In the past we just didn’t feel ready, but we’re in a better place for it now,” Packard said. “We think it’ll offer a great option.”