Devils Backbone Brewing Company

Devils Backbone Brewing Company is a Virginia brewery and brewpub founded in 2008 by Steven and Heidi Crandall. Its principal brewery, known as Basecamp, is located in Roseland in the Blue Ridge Mountains, while a second major site, The Outpost Brewery & Tap Room, operates near Lexington. The company takes its name from Devils Backbone, a ridge in the Blue Ridge region associated with historical surveying by Thomas Jefferson's father. The business began as a small, hospitality-oriented brewery built on a large property in Roseland. From the outset, it combined on-site brewing, food service, tourism, and taproom experiences with packaged beer. Its brewing approach was strongly influenced by traditional German methods, and its portfolio developed around lagers, India pale ales, porters, seasonal releases, and other styles. Vienna Lager became the brand's best-known beer and a major contributor to its volume, while Eight Point IPA was the first beer brewed by the company and became part of its core lineup. Danzig, a Baltic-style porter introduced in the early years, represented the brewery's more robust and specialty-oriented brewing program. In 2012, Devils Backbone expanded its physical footprint by establishing a 15,000-square-foot production facility and taproom near Lexington, Virginia. The facility, called The Outpost, gave the brewery additional production capacity and a second customer-facing destination. The company subsequently broadened distribution beyond Virginia, with beers becoming available in a number of Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern markets. Its beers have also appeared in parts of the Northeast and Ohio. Devils Backbone built its reputation through competition results as well as regional distribution. Vienna Lager received recognition at the Great American Beer Festival, the World Beer Cup, and the Virginia Craft Brewers Festival. Danzig also won medals at national and international competitions. The brewery has collected numerous Great American Beer Festival medals and received national-level recognition for its brewery and brewing team. A major ownership change occurred in 2016, when Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired the company. The transaction supplied the brand with the resources of a large international brewing group and supported wider distribution, including expansion into additional Southern, Midwestern, and Northeastern states. It also changed Devils Backbone's position within the American beer industry: because Anheuser-Busch InBev is a large non-craft brewer, the company no longer met the Brewers Association's ownership threshold for classification as an independent craft brewery. Devils Backbone nevertheless continued to operate as a Virginia-based brewery brand with its own named facilities, taprooms, recipes, and regional identity. The brand's present identity centers on Virginia brewery tourism, packaged beer, taproom service, and a portfolio that balances accessible lager styles with hop-forward and specialty beers. Its two principal Virginia locations—Basecamp in Roseland and The Outpost near Lexington—remain central to the consumer experience, while Anheuser-Busch InBev provides the broader commercial platform.

Devils Backbone Brewing Company was founded in 2008 by Steven and Heidi Crandall in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The brewery was developed on a 100-acre property in Roseland, an area associated with the ridge called Devils Backbone. The name connects the company to the local landscape and to the region's historical surveying tradition. The original operation was conceived as more than a production brewery. It incorporated a brewpub and visitor facilities, making hospitality and direct consumer contact important parts of the business model. Brewing centered on a traditional German-style system, with an emphasis on technically driven lagers alongside ales and specialty beers. Eight Point IPA was the first beer brewed by the company. Vienna Lager later became its signature product and one of its most commercially important beers. Danzig, a Baltic-style porter first brewed in 2009, gave the portfolio a darker and more distinctive offering. As demand and distribution developed, Devils Backbone expanded beyond its original Roseland site. In 2012, it established The Outpost, a 15,000-square-foot production brewery and taproom near Lexington, Virginia. The company subsequently operated two principal Virginia brewing destinations: Basecamp in Roseland and The Outpost near Lexington. These sites supported both packaged-beer production and brewery tourism. The brewery gained national attention through competition results. Vienna Lager received gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival in 2012 and 2015, a silver medal at the 2014 World Beer Cup, and recognition at the Virginia Craft Brewers Festival. Danzig received medals at the Great American Beer Festival in 2009, 2012, and 2013, as well as a gold medal at the 2010 World Beer Cup. Devils Backbone also received brewery and brewing-team honors at the Great American Beer Festival and was recognized as a champion brewery at the 2010 World Beer Cup. By the middle of the 2010s, the company had accumulated a substantial collection of competition medals and had become one of Virginia's better-known regional breweries. The brand expanded distribution from Virginia into neighboring Mid-Atlantic markets and subsequently reached additional states in the Southeast, Northeast, and Midwest. Its core packaged products included Vienna Lager and Eight Point IPA, both of which began appearing in 12-ounce cans during the period following the 2016 ownership change. In 2016, Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired Devils Backbone Brewing Company. The deal marked a transition from independent regional brewery ownership to membership in a global brewing group. The acquisition enabled broader market access, but it also affected the brand's status in the American craft-beer sector. Under the Brewers Association's ownership criteria, a brewery controlled by a large non-craft brewer exceeding the permitted ownership threshold does not qualify as an independent craft brewery. Devils Backbone therefore ceased to meet that definition after the acquisition, even though its Virginia facilities, brand identity, and brewing operations continued. The company remains associated with its two Virginia brewery locations, its destination-brewery model, and a portfolio led by Vienna Lager, Eight Point IPA, and Danzig. Its history illustrates the development of a local brewpub into a regionally distributed beer brand and the later integration of that brand into a multinational brewing company.

• 2016

  Anheuser-Busch InBev acquires the company

  [1]Devils Backbone Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Devils Backbone becomes part of Anheuser-Busch InBev, ending its status as an independently owned craft brewery under Brewers Association criteria.

• 2012

  The Outpost opens near Lexington

  [1]Devils Backbone Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  A 15,000-square-foot production brewery and taproom is established near Lexington, Virginia.

• 2009

  Danzig enters the portfolio

  [1]Devils Backbone Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  The brewery begins producing Danzig, a Baltic-style porter that later becomes one of its recognized specialty beers.

• 2008

  Devils Backbone is founded

  [1]Devils Backbone Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Steven and Heidi Crandall establish Devils Backbone Brewing Company in Roseland, Virginia.

A Virginia brewery brand combining Blue Ridge destination-brewery hospitality with German-influenced brewing, regional craft-beer heritage, and the distribution reach of Anheuser-Busch InBev.

• Lager

  Vienna Lager

  Vienna Lager is Devils Backbone's best-known beer and a central expression of the brewery's German-influenced brewing approach. It became a major contributor to company volume and received recognition in major beer competitions, including gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival and awards from the World Beer Cup and Virginia Craft Brewers Festival. The beer has been distributed in packaged form, including 12-ounce cans.

• India pale ale · 2008

  Eight Point IPA

  Eight Point IPA was the first beer brewed by Devils Backbone and became one of the brand's core beers. It provides a hop-forward counterpart to the brewery's lager emphasis and is included among the company's Backbone Basecamp Favorites. Following the company's expansion, Eight Point IPA was also released in 12-ounce cans, helping it reach consumers beyond the taproom.

• Baltic-style porter · 2009

  Danzig

  Danzig is a dark Baltic-style porter first brewed in 2009. It belongs to the brewery's Trail Blazers series and has been one of Devils Backbone's most decorated specialty beers. Its competition record includes medals at the Great American Beer Festival and a gold medal at the World Beer Cup, giving the beer an important role in the company's reputation for brewing beyond mainstream lager and IPA styles.

• 2016

  Join Anheuser-Busch InBevM&A

  Background

  Devils Backbone had developed from a Virginia brewpub into a regional brewery with two major facilities and distribution across multiple states.

  Action taken

  Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired the brewery and incorporated the Devils Backbone brand into its larger brewing portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The brand gained access to a multinational distribution platform and expanded into additional U.S. markets. Because of its ownership by a large non-craft brewer, it no longer qualified as an independent craft brewery under the Brewers Association's definition.

  Source

• 2016

  Core beers move into cansProduct launch

  Background

  The company sought to make selected core beers available in packaged formats beyond its brewery and taproom locations.

  Action taken

  Devils Backbone began releasing Vienna Lager and Eight Point IPA in 12-ounce cans.

  Aftermath

  The canned formats supported broader retail distribution of two of the brand's principal beers.

  Source

• 2016

  Devils Backbone is acquired by Anheuser-Busch InBev[1]Devils Backbone Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Anheuser-Busch InBev purchased Devils Backbone Brewing Company, giving the Virginia brand access to the resources and distribution network of a global brewing group.

• 2012

  The Outpost production brewery and taproom opens near Lexington[1]Devils Backbone Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  Devils Backbone established a 15,000-square-foot production facility and taproom near Lexington, Virginia, expanding the company's brewing and visitor operations.

1. 1Devils Backbone Brewing Companyen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Devils Backbone Brewing Company official websitedbbrewingcompany.com