Devils Backbone Brewery Wins GABF Gold for Vienna Lager

LEXINGTON, VA –Devils Backbone Brewing Company, is proud to announce that it brought home a Gold Medal for its Vienna Lager from the prestigious2015 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) this past weekend in Denver, CO.  This brings the brewery’s GABF total to 29 medals, including three national titles, over six consecutive years since first entering the competition.

“We are extremely proud of this year’s win.  It is a continuation of the great work our brew team has executed since we opened our doors.  This was also a banner year for the Virginia craft beer community; together we brought back 10 medals to our home state, Virginia is for craft beer lovers!” says founder Steve Crandall, who along with his wife Heidi, started Devils Backbone Brewing Company in 2008 in the heartland of Virginia.

Devils Backbone beers are inspired by the great brewing traditions of Europe and the ingenuity of modern craft brewing.  The brewing team has earned numerous awards and accolades for their beers, excelling in the art of lager brewing in an ale dominated industry.  Vienna Lager (5.2%) is amber in color with a subtle toasted caramel note and a smooth malty finish.

“Vienna Lager is a style we’ve brewed since day one.  We use a combination of Northern Brewer and Saaz hops with Vienna, Pilsen, Dark Munich and Caramel malts and allow five weeks for the lagering process so the flavors can fully develop.  This is a win for our entire brew team who work so hard each day to create our world-class beers,” says Lead Brewer Nate Olewine.

The GABF is an annual event celebrating the best in American brewing culture. This year’s competition featured 1,552 breweries representing all 50 states and Washington, DC. Participants offered 6,647 beers for judging in 92 style categories. For more information, including a complete list of winners, please visit www.gabf.org.

Devils Backbone Brewing Company is the largest craft brewery in Virginia and one of the most award-winning breweries in the United States.  This is the third GABF medal for Vienna Lager, having also received a gold in 2012 and a silver in 2009.  Devils Backbone has also garnered three coveted national titles at GABF including 2014 Mid-Sized Brewing Company and Brew Team of the Year, 2013 Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year and 2012 Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year.

Devils Backbone operates two breweries in central Virginia:  Basecamp Brewpub & Meadows (200 Mosbys Run, Roseland, VA) the original brewery, restaurant and the Meadows, the new outdoor beer and dining area, located at the foot of the Three Ridge Mountains in scenic Nelson County; and the Outpost Brewery & Tap Room, a state-of-the-art production brewery (50 North Wind Lane, Lexington, VA.)

Seven years ago the Crandall’s, inspired by a skiing trip in Italy where they had their first taste of German beer, opened the doors to Devils Backbone Brewing Company.  Basecamp Brewpub was an instant regional success and with so many beer lovers asking where they could purchase the brews, they broke ground on the Outpost in 2011.  Anticipated to produce 10,000 barrels of beer in the first ten years of operation, the Outpost reached 45,000 barrels in the first three years and recently completed an additional expansion to reach 250,000 barrels.

Devils Backbone beers are currently available in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and the District of Columbia. For more information on Devils Backbone, please visit the website, www.dbbrewingcompany.com.  You can also follow along as they Craft an Adventure on Facebook/devilsbackbonebrewingcompany, Twitter @dbbrewingco and Instagram @devilsbackbonebrewingcompany.