E-Malt.com News article: USA, VA: Devils Backbone Brewing expands after purchase by AB InBev

Devils Backbone Brewing Co., headquartered in Nelson County, made national news in April when it announced its acquisition by beer giant Anheuser-Busch, the Daily Progress reported on December 31.

The response was immediate, with some craft beer aficionados praising the decision while others vowed to boycott the company’s products for “selling out.”

“They’ve certainly been the recipient of some unnecessary hate,” said Mary Wolf, owner of Wild Wolf Brewing, another craft producer located along Virginia 151 in the Rockfish Valley. “Although, I understand why some people have that perception.”

Since the deal between Anheuser-Busch closed Sept. 1, Devils Backbone co-owner Steve Crandall said he has seen revenue increase slightly, up 18 percent to 20 percent over the same time last year.

In 2016, Devils Backbone produced about 75,000 barrels of beer. Next year, Crandall said, they expect to produce somewhere around 95,000 barrels.

The company also has increased its staff to 180 employees from 130, including a dozen brewers. Most hires were made before the acquisition, Crandall said.

The growth is part of an expansion that includes opening a $3 million Nelson County distillery and building additions to existing locations in Roseland and north of Lexington on U.S. 11.

“We have a partner now in this business that’s funding our dream,” Crandall said of the deal with Anheuser-Busch. “We would have had to grow into this expansion that we’re doing, and it would have probably taken us 20 years to do so.”

Devils Backbone products will soon expand to a number of East Coast states, Crandall said.

Recently the brewery launched construction projects at both the Basecamp facility in Nelson County and the Outpost Brewery & Tap Room near Lexington.

The latter expansion includes a new packaging and shipping/receiving facility, a larger taproom and equipment upgrades that include a new barrel aging system.

As craft beer loyalists grow accustomed to the change in ownership, Wolf said she expects some of the animosity toward Devils Backbone to lessen.

“I think your average consumer doesn’t understand the significance, nor do they necessarily care,” she said. “It matters that you’re putting out amazing, fresh, interesting beers, and if a company’s still doing that, then I’m not convinced who owns them is what really should matter.”


04 January, 2017