Devils Backbone Brewery experiences amazing growth

Rags to riches stories are rare in this day and age. With an economy that is anything but conducive to business expansion, many businesses are tightening their belts and preparing to ride out the storm in hopes of finding themselves as survivors when the financial clouds finally clear. But, for one brewery in Virginia, rags to riches is a fitting and appropriate way to characterize their rise within the industry.

At this year’s Great American Beer Festival, Devils Backbone Brewing found themselves squarely in the spotlight of the brewing industry. The little brewery that could garnered a stunning eight medals, the Small Brew Pub, and the Small Brew Pub Brewer of the Year awards. For a brewery that produced only 800 barrels of beer in 2011 from its system at its brew pub, those are astounding numbers.

Not surprisingly, the word is out about this brewery and a realization that more production capacity would be necessary came about. In march of this year, the brew pub decided to add a 15,000 square-foot production facility dubbed “The Outpost.” The new facility ramped up production of the brewery to 10,000 barrels in 2012 and provides the basis for hopes to more than double that number in 2013.

Among the breweries full-time offerings will be a dark beer based on the season, increased availability of their Trailblazers Limited Release Series, and a line of brewer’s reserve beers.

As suggested by the number of awards the brewery won this year and over the past years, the beers are fantastic. Tastings at GABF revealed well developed brews that are carefully and lovingly crafted. While they are limited in geographic availability, they are well worth seeking out if you are going to be in Virginia.

Keep up to date on all the beer happenings and news going on in town at the ALL NEW www.JaxBeerGuy.com.

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GABF 2012 Session One: The Beginning

There was a definite buzz in the air 30 minutes before the doors opened for Session 1 of the 2012 Great American Beer Festival (GABF). In the lobby on the Colorado Convention Center eager beer enthusiasts were lined up awaiting the dropping of the ropes for entry into the main exposition hall. While inside the hall, breweries, volunteers, and press were busily preparing for the onslaught. In a word, it was magical.

This year GABF played host to 578 breweries from all around the United States, including breweries from both Alaska and Hawaii. Those breweries brought with them over 2,700 beers for festival attendees to taste that amounted to over 36,500 gallons of beer served in one ounce portions. The event’s home, the Colorado Convention Center, has 584,000 square feet exhibit space most of which was utilized for the festival. The event hosted 49,000 attendees including staff, brewers, attendees, and press.

Inside the event hall guests found food vendors, a beard trimming exhibit from Wahl, a silent disco sponsored by Oskar Blues, an Airstream picture booth from Black Star Beer, a Brew Pub Pavilion with food and beer pairings, a Farm-to-Table Pavilion, a bookstore, a t-shirt shop, and lots of beer!

As 5:15 approached the folks in the lines outside the exhibition all began to become more and more excited. Cries of, “We want beer!” began to echo through the cavernous lobby. An army of ticket-takers, security, and assorted other volunteers manned their stations in preparation for the heard of humanity waiting to get in. An announcer proclaimed across the PA system, “Two minutes until the 2012 Great American Beer Festival is open.”  Breweries hurriedly prepared.

And then, the doors opened. Wave after wave of thirsty beer lovers poured into the exhibition hall and were instructed to keep their tickets out in order to collect a plastic tasting cup and program. For a while there was a backup at the entrance, but after a few minutes a sort of rhythm was achieved and happy festival attendees began making their way into the hall.

Attendees to beer events tend to be eclectic and those coming to GABF are no different. Among the attendees were numerous men in lederhosen and women in dirndls. But, there was also a posse of Waldos (as in Where’s Waldo), a clan of men in Scottish kilts, a gang of colorfully zoot suited guys. There were girls dressed in skimpy, sexy plaid shorts and even sexier skimpy dresses and stratospheric heels. There were attendees dressed as beer kegs, beer steins, and disco dancers. There was even an appearance by Abraham Lincoln and a space-suited gorilla. Perhaps the most entertaining and amusing group were the Shriners complete with miniature cars worn around their waists, fez’s, and musical bicycle horns. It truly was a spectacle.

As the night went on, the crowd moved from table to table sampling beers from the likes of Sweetwater Brewing Company, Schlafly Brewing, Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company, Upland Brewing, and 10 Barrel Brewing Company. Long lines formed at some of the heavyweight brewer’s tables like Cigar City, Firestone Walker, New Belgium, and Oskar Blues. But, never did anyone complain. Instead people began to bond with one another. A sort of camaraderie developed between those in line together and, when those same people bumped into each other later in the night, high-fives and fist bumps were shared all around.

 

Lost Abbey Brewing announces ‘Lost Abbey’ game for GABF

If you are going to the Great American Beer Festival next week and enjoy Lost Abbey beers, you may find the activity they have dreamed up interesting and fun. The activity will help you explore the burgeoning Denver craft beer scene while possibly earning Lost Abbey beer, wearables, or even a coveted Ultimate Box Set collection of their beer.

The company is billing the game as a live version of “Where’s Waldo.” The story line is that Abbot (called Abbey) has set off to Denver ahead of the GABF, but has a terrible sense of direction. The Lost Abbey beers want to find Abbey before something goes terribly awry. That is where you come in; it is up to you to follow the trail of clues Abbey leaves behind and locate the wayward Monk.

Through notes on both Twitter and Foursquare, participants will need to follow in Abbey’s footsteps and visit each location he does (there are a total of seven). Along the way to finding Abbey, you will have the opportunity to win a number of prizes but, it is the first to find Abbey on Saturday, October 13 that will the Grand Prize.

Full details on how to play the game are located here: http://www.lostabbey.com/2012/09/30/play-the-hunt-for-lost-abbey-at-gabf/.

Check out the ALL NEW Jax Beer Guy website for beer news, beer education, beer photography, and beer schwag. www.jaxbeerguy.com.

 

LetsPour to give away free beer for a year

The Great American Beer Festival is just a few short weeks away. Beer lovers from around the country and the world will descend upon Denver, Colo. in droves beginning Oct. 11. Along with the beer lovers will be a contingent of beer-centric businesses to help make finding and getting beer into their hands easier. One such business is LetsPour, the leading social commerce site for highly sought-after beers.

LetsPour will be in attendance at GABF to introduce themselves to the thousands of beer drinkers that will be filtering through the convention center. Those who visit their booth will have an opportunity to win up to $50 in free beer from the site. You read that right; they are giving away free beer – a lot of it.

“We love beer and beer enthusiasts,” company CEO Raghar Kher said. The company specializes in getting enthusiasts, “…beer they would otherwise have a hard time finding.”

And to make things just a bit more exciting, the company is running a special promotion on its website in which one lucky beer geek could win a year’s worth of free beer. In order to be eligible to win, simply visit www.letspour.com/gabf. As with most promotions, there is no purchase necessary to win. The winner will receive a free six-pack of beer every month for a year.

Based in Seattle, Wash. LetsPour is more than just another commerce site. They are a social site where members can rate and review beers.” Kher says. Members can even ask questions before they buy, read cheeky reviews, and get tasting notes from independent critics.

If you are going to GABF, visit the LetsPour crew at Booth #151.

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Swamp Head sets sights for GABF medals

Florida is a burgeoning hotspot for the craft beer world right now. According to industry website Rate Beer, there are more than 85 establishments that brew beer for public consumption in the state with many more in the way. One of the most promising is the small, but growing, brewery that makes its home among the Gator fanatics in Gainesville – Swamp Head Brewery.

Luke Kemper did his college studying in Colorado among the booming craft beer scene in and around Denver and was often called upon to bring home cases of beer on school. For a while that was OK, but soon a seed of an idea began to grow – maybe Gainesville needs its own craft beer brewery. It was from that see that he grew the idea of Swamp Head Brewery. It was not an overnight process; Kemper rallied the support of the local government and rounded up his equipment before producing his first batch in April of 2009.

Swamp Head operates on a 10 barrel, two-vessel, copper-clad brewing system. It is not a large system and the little brewery works hard to keep up with demand. And demand for the breweries products is definitely there due in no small part to the extraordinary skills of head brewer Craig Birkmaier.

Kemper believes that craft beer keeps gaining popularity because of the current generation’s desires for more choices and exciting new products. He also attributes it to the growing “Culture of people wanting to support local.” He believes that people want a sense of ownership and take pride in their local products. Something that he practices as well as preaches as is evident in his company motto; Inherently Floridian. Kemper take great pains to purchase as much of his ingredients form local suppliers and even donates his spent grain to a local cattle farmer to feed to his livestock.

“I’ve always looked to New Glarus as a sort of role model,” Kemper said. “They produce something like 100,000 barrels a year and only distribute in Wisconsin.”

Under Birkmaier’s watchful eye, brews from Swamp Head have garnered multiple awards with many more on the horizon. Some, Kemper hopes, will come at next month’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver. This year will mark the third appearance at the GABF for Swamp Head. “We have to make a name for ourselves,” Kemper says. To that goal, Kemper is bringing his brewing staff to man the brewery’s booth Friday night and all day Saturday.

The brewery will be pouring several of their favorites at their booth including:

Smoke Signal – A 2011 Gold Medal Best Florida Beer award winner, this is an American-style Smoked Porter that clocks in at 6.9% ABV.

Stumpknocker – Took the Silver Medal in 2010 and the Gold in 2011 as Best Florida Beer, this brew is a American Pale Ale that benefits from two dry hop additions.

Dark Water – Another award winner, this brew took the Gold in 2011 for Best Florida Beer and was created through a collaboration with Eric Lumen of Green Room Brewing in Jacksonville Beach. This is an American-style Black Ale at 6.4% ABV that gets its color from chocolate wheat malts.

Cottonmouth – This Belgian-style Wheat Bier is 5.0% ABV and brewed with coriander and bitter orange peel.

Catherine’s Passion – Silver Medalist in 2011 Best Florida Beer Awards, this Russian Imperial Stout is infused with organic cocoa nibs and dark roast organic fair-trade coffee.

Kemper is excited to attend the GABF again this year. “There’s a lot of craft beer out there,” he says, referring to his old Colorado stomping grounds.

With the addition of the exceptional beers from Swamp Head, there is even more.

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