Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Virginia brewery Devils Backbone to take over local taps

Bottle shop Bombers Bev Co. will be adding Devils Backbone beers--and will let the Virginia brewery take over its taps tonight. Photo by Hilary Snow.
Bottle shop Bombers Bev Co. will be adding Devils Backbone beers–and will let the Virginia brewery take over its taps tonight. Photo by Hilary Snow.

A Virginia brewery inspired by European tradition is bringing its handcrafted beer to Wilmington.

In a first for North Carolina, Devils Backbone is stocking its brews in area bottle shops and pubs. To celebrate this latest expansion, the company is hosting 10 days of tap takeovers and samplings across town beginning tonight (Tuesday).

“We are thrilled to begin crafting our new adventure with our expansion into Wilmington. North Carolina has played a big part in my family’s lives and now we have the wonderful privilege of proudly bringing our world-class craft beer to the people and places we love here,” said Steve Crandall, who started Devils Backbone in 2008 with his wife Heidi.

Devils Backbone operates two breweries in central Virginia– Basecamp Brewpub and Meadows and the Outpost Brewery and Tap Room. The latter is a state-of-the-art production facility, while Basecamp and Meadows houses the original brewery, as well as a restaurant and beer garden.

The Crandalls were inspired to open Devils Backbone following a skiing trip in Italy, where they had their first taste of German beer. Anticipating 10,000 barrels of beer in the first decade of operation, the Outpost reached 45,000 barrels in three years and is currently completing an additional expansion to be able to produce 250,000 barrels.

“We treat each beer as an individual, and through recipe formulation and process, strive to bring forth the subtleties in the style to create a first-rate beer experience,” brewmaster Jason Oliver said.

In addition to North Carolina, Devils Backbone is available in Virginia, Maryland, Tennessee and Washington, D.C.

The company has grown to become the largest craft brewery in Virginia and one of the most award-winning breweries in the country, having won medals from the World Beer Cup and other state, national and international competitions.

To bring its beers to the region, Devils Backbone partnered with Coastal Beverage. Beers will be available at bars, restaurants, bottles shops and grocery stores throughout the Wilmington area.

For the local launch, Devils Backbone will be serving up its Basecamp favorites, including the flagship Vienna Lager, Eight Point IPA, and Gold Leaf Lager. Other brews flowing throughout the week are the German-style Schwartz Bier, the Bavarian Hefeweizen, Trail Angel, the Smokehouse amber lager, the Spiderbite black IPA and Pumpkin Hunter.

Devils Backbone will kick off its 10-day party in the Port City with tap takeovers at 6 p.m. tonight at both Bombers Bev Co., 108 Grace St., and Whiskey Creek, 4039 Masonboro Loop Road. The company will also make stops at Cape Fear Wine and Beer and Ogden Tap Room. Click here for the full schedule.

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