Devils Backbone Brewing Company
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 2008 |
| Founder | Steven Crandall |
| Headquarters | Roseland, Virginia , United States |
Area served | Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Washington, D.C., Delaware, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, New Jersey, New York |
Key people | Steven Crandall (founder) |
| Products | Beer (including Vienna Lager and Eight Point IPA) |
| Owner | Anheuser-Busch InBev |
Devils Backbone Brewing Company is a brewpub situated in Roseland, Virginia, under the ownership of Anheuser-Busch InBev. Established in 2008 by entrepreneur Steven Crandall, the brewery expanded its operations in 2012 by opening a 15,000-square-foot production site and taproom named "The Outpost" near Lexington, Virginia. In 2016, the company was purchased by Anheuser-Busch InBev, resulting in its reclassification outside the Brewers Association's craft brewery criteria due to more than 25% ownership by a non-craft entity.
History
In 2008, Steven and Heidi Crandall founded Devils Backbone Brewing Company on a 100-acre property located within the Blue Ridge Mountains. The name originates from a ridge that was originally surveyed by Thomas Jefferson’s father. The brewery’s acquisition by Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2016 signified an important phase in its expansion and integration into a worldwide operational framework.
Locations
Devils Backbone maintains two primary brewing locations in Virginia: Basecamp in Roseland, Virginia and The Outpost Brewery & Tap Room in Lexington, Virginia. Their beers are distributed across several states including Pennsylvania, West Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Delaware. After being acquired by Anheuser-Busch, the brand broadened its reach into additional markets such as South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, New Jersey, and New York.
Beers
Devils Backbone offers approximately 128 different beer styles. Production volume was about 62,000 barrels in 2015 and increased to roughly 75,000 barrels in 2016. The brewery employs a traditional German brewing system. Since 2016, their flagship brews Vienna Lager and Eight Point IPA have been packaged in 12-ounce cans.
Vienna Lager
Vienna Lager serves as one of the company’s flagship offerings and has been honored by Men's Journal as one of the "Best 100 Beers Worldwide" as well as featured among Food & Wine's "50 Best American Lagers." This lager represented close to 60% of total production volume in 2015.
Awards
- Gold - Great American Beer Festival, 2015
- Gold - Great American Beer Festival, 2012
- Silver - World Beer Cup, 2014
- Gold - Virginia Craft Brewers Fest, 2014
Eight Point IPA
The brewery’s inaugural beer, Eight Point IPA, remains a staple within its Backbone Basecamp Favorites collection.
Danzig
Introduced in 2009, this Baltic-style porter is a prominent member of Devils Backbone's Trail Blazers series and has received various accolades including:
- Bronze - Great American Beer Festival, 2013
- Silver - Great American Beer Festival, 2012
- Gold - World Beer Cup, 2010
- Silver - Great American Beer Festival, 2009
List of beers brewed
| Name | Style | ABV |
|---|---|---|
| 16 Point | American Double/ Imperial IPA | 9.1 |
| 1887 Stout | American Stout | 7.2 |
| 319 Hebron Ale | American Pale Ale (APA) | 5.1 |
| 8.5 Barrel Stout | American Stout | 5.9 |
| Advantageous Weizenbock | Weizenbock | 6.8 |
| Agave Double Pils | American Double / Imperial Pilsner | 7.0 |
| Ale of Fergus | English Dark Mild Ale | 4.0 |
| Ale of Fergus Version 6.5 | Scottish Ale | 6.5 |
| Ale of Fergus Winter Warmer | Scottish Ale | 6.7 |
| Alpen Bock | Bock | 6.9 |
| Apple-achian Pie Stout | Herbed / Spiced Beer | 8.0 |
| Apricot Weiss | Hefeweizen | 5.3 |
| Auster Brau | Kolsch | 5.0 |
| Aviator | American Amber / Red Lager | 5.5 |
| Azreal | Belgium Strong Pale Ale | 7.0 |
| Back Packin | American Brown Ale | 6.2 |
| Baltic Coffee | Baltic Porter | 8.0 |
| Baracus | American Strong Ale | 9.6 |
| Barclay's London Dark Lager | Euro Dark Lager | 5.8 |
| Bavarian Dark Lager | Munich Dunkel Lager | 5.7 |
| Belgian Witbier | Witbier | 5.1 |
| Berliner Metro Weiss | Berliner Weissbier | 3.8 |
| Beta Max | American Double / Imperial IPA | 7.7 |
| Beyond All Raisins | American Barleywine | 10.6 |
| Bier De Noel | Belgian Dark Ale | 6.2 |
| Black Lager | Schwarzbier | 5.1 |
| Black Rock Oatmeal Stout | Oatmeal Stout | 4.5 |
| Blue Ridge Hope Revival Ale | American Brown Ale | 6.0 |
| Bravo Four Point Session IPA | American IPA | 4.4 |
| Cafe De Manana | American Porter | 6.7 |
| Catty Wompus | Belgian IPA | 7.5 |
| Cocoa Bear | American Double / Imperial Stout | 11.0 |
| Cocoa Danzig | Baltic Porter | 6.7 |
| Cocoa Schwartz | Schwartzbier | 5.1 |
| Crab Gose | Gose | 4.0 |
| Craic Stout | Irish Dry Stout | 4.6 |
Awards
Since its establishment in 2008, the company has earned a total of 28 medals at the Great American Beer Festival held in Denver, Colorado.
The Great American Beer Festival
- 2014 Mid-Size Brewery and Brewery Team Champion
- 2013 Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Team Winner
- 2012 Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer Awardee
- 2010 Champion Brewery at the World Beer Cup
- Virginia Craft Brewers Fest Best of Show recipient from 2012 through 2015
World Beer Cup
- 2016 Gold Medal for German-Style Schwarzbier
- 2016 Gold Medal for Irish-Style Red Ale