Along with the tweets, there were release parties and events, and stories of folks who travelled quite a  ways to get a taste of the once a year brew.  In areas the it didn’t make it to, I’m sure plenty of beer related conversations this week at least touched upon its reputed taste, aroma, or the fabulous looking head a freshly poured one exhibits.  This type of commotion, of course, is not unheard of when it comes to these kinds of beers.  Now, American craft beer is a jungle full of interesting, delicious, and excellent brews.  But as any jungle explorer worth his fedora will tell you, there are a few handfuls that tend to gain the kind of king of the jungle respect that gets you your own release party.  What separates them?  Think big.  No, bigger.  Ok, bigger still.  Sure, being released on an annual basis for limited runs may help a beer’s notoriety, but typically these kinds of brews have been imbued with much bigger than typical flavors, which often means more (or more costly) ingredients, which in turn, helps explain a once a year release and a higher than average price.  So while you think “big”, think also…intense, and complex.  With some of the most notable, let your mind wander to descriptive terms like mind blowing.  Some of these beers, you’ll remember when you first had them, and where.

Now, not all are quite this epic, and of course opinions vary on which ones to include on the red carpet list.  There are also many others that seem to come close to earning such excitement.  These brews have their own, smaller packs of groupies, are available readily, but still feature some pretty intense, much bigger than average flavors.  This weekend, here in Roanoke, we’re lucky to have representatives from both “categories” around town, on tap, and are all well worth checking out.  Be wary though, a couple of these are definitely hop forward.  So if you’re a self appointed hop head, you’ve skipped to the list below, have your coat on, and are headed for the door.  But if you are still skeptical of hops and how much tongue and face twisting they’ll do to you, you might tend to stay away from these particular animal’s cages.  Then again, perhaps today’s the day your curiosity gets the best of you, and you earn your very own fedora.

LOCATIONS, BEERS:

BLUE 5 RESTAURANT:  Happy hour yesterday found the crew at Blue 5 tapping a small barrel of Foothills Sexual Chocolate.  How long it’ll last is anybody’s guess.  From the Foothills website: “A cocoa infused Imperial Stout…big chocolate aroma with notes of espresso, blackstrap molasses, dark sweet toffee and dark fruit…smooth dark chocolate backbone (taste) with notes of coffee, dark toffee, and dark fruit”.

Tonight however, Blue 5 will apparently be tapping some of Avery Brewing’s (CO) amazingly complex Imperial/Double IPA “Maharaja”.  This is good example of a “big” time beer, and personally, I recall where I was and what I was doing the first time I tasted it.  It features an intense collection of what Avery refers to as “vibrant” and “pungent” hop flavors, grapefruity over most others, but is balanced out with an “insane” amount of malt.  There are tons of good beers out there, few that make you have one of those “wow…this…this is beer?” moments.  For me, this is one of them.

LUCKY RESTAURANT:  Right now, Lucky has one of my favorite all time beers, Oskar Blues’ G’Knight Imperial Red Ale.  This one is also pretty well balanced out between a generous amount of caramel sweetness from the malt and a bunch of what hop heads love to call (and the brewery as well) “sticky”, or resin like hop flavors, making you want to smack your lips to it’s grapefruity, tropical fruit like flavor.  The two sides battle it out in this beer which is big on both, a hop lovers delight, and for those not certain on hops, a good beer to test your resolve with.

LOCAL ROOTS RESTAURANT: Local Roots continues to have another of my personal favorites, Breckenridge Brewery’s “Small Batch” 471 Double India Pale Ale.  Here’s still another hop heavy beer whose malt sweetness matches up well to the hop flavors and bitterness, but with the hop side of things taking the lead.  Grapefruit and orange, pithy tastes and a definite warming effect from the alcohol are all here, along with a mid-heavy body.

It wasn’t Landry’s only fond recollection involving the comfort of a pub and good beer.  Another part of the family lived nearby, in a village just large enough for one pub, the Four Alls.  In places such as these, low alcohol “session” beers, a term which originated in England, were the norm.  These were not ales that run you over in an hour or less.  These are true pub ales – ones that allow for meeting up with friends or family, sitting down, and sharing stories over an entire evening, and then, as Landry remembers quite specifically, making your way home safely.  Experiences such as this were, and always are, as much about the time spent around those who know you best and the comfort such a presence and time brings, as the beer.

Landry’s appreciation for non mainstream and local beer would truly gain a foothold with a return to Boston, where he would attend college and live during his early twenties.  He experienced his first food and beer tasting during this time, and began visiting many of the brewpubs in the area.  His father owned a house on nearby Martha’s Vineyard, and there, at the well respected Offshore Ale Company, he would have one of those well remembered moments of beer inspiration.  Perhaps as a link back to his days in England, where cask conditioned ales are legendary, he became a fan in particular of an IPA which Offshore Ale produced.  “This may be my English roots coming through, but there’s nothing better than a cask IPA in my opinion. The hops just shine.”  But it was another Offshore brew that would help mark the next stop in Landry’s journey.

Not long after moving to Roanoke in 2005, Landry began home brewing to, as has always been the case with home brewers throughout the ages, enjoy beers that he could not readily find here in Roanoke at the time.  These would include a clone of an Offshore Ale Belgian pale ale, which he would submit in a home brewing competition, where it promptly won first place.  It would not be his last award.  Since then, he has earned a number of others, within the Star City Brewer’s Guild own competitions, and also at Blacksburg’s annual beer festival and homebrew competition, BrewDo.  The BrewDo winners, an American brown ale and a Belgian style blonde ale, would figure prominently into the fulfillment of a dream which may have begun many years ago.

That next move would be about as clear as the Pilsner he recently brewed on his home system.  Because throughout the cross Atlantic travels and the home brewing, the competitions and the time spent on Martha’s Vineyard, Landry still fondly speaks of those pubs in England.  Memories of his great aunt and uncle’s Inn, the Four Alls, and another pub near his uncle’s bed and breakfast called the Dungeon Ghyll (“Gill”) still glow warmly within his stories of them.  Reflecting on those pubs in England, Landry remarks “…bars are in the family blood I guess”.  So while nothing might have been scribbled down on a napkin late one evening years ago, his next project still might have began forming  on one of those fondly remembered nights, as he sipped his Boddingtons among friends and family.  Besides, he’s been taking plenty of notes more recently, on visits to brewpubs and breweries here in America, where the interest in craft beer is growing every day.  Those warm memories, along with his built in love of good beer would push the idea – of his very own brewpub – into creation.

Still in the final planning stages, there is no doubt “Barley and Chops”, keeps Landry’s thoughts busy these days.  But it was the love of good beer, and moreover, freshly produced beer and plenty of different styles of it, that was at the forefront of Landry’s thoughts on a recent evening. “First and foremost you can’t beat fresh beer and there is really no better way than to drink a fresh beer at a brewpub.”  While some of his first beers may have indeed included those two BrewDo winners, Landry promises plenty of variety at Barley and Chops.  Both his training with the American Brewer’s Guild – Landry is well on his way to finishing his Craft Brewer Apprenticeship – and his own wide ranging interest in different beer styles may factor into this, but he knows variety is what ultimately drives craft beer interest among fans.  It’s also what he considers his brewpub may add to the area – the ability for a regular visitor to the to ask that classic question “What’s new on tap?” and hear that indeed, something has changed since last visit.

Still, Landry is quick to point out he hopes the brewpub will not have a “typical” customer.  Barley and Chops would also be a comfortable spot for the uninitiated yet curious, would-be craft beer fan to come. “Sure I would hope to attract and keep the craft beer enthusiast as a customer, but we are a place of learning. I want someone who has never tried a craft beer to come in and feel welcomed and supported even if it means staff takes a little more time with them.”  As any fan of craft beer would probably tell you, having a variety of styles for someone new to the scene is key.  Not ready for the hoppy IPA?  Don’t care for the stout?  Landry will have something else that might make a better fit, and he’ll be happy to introduce it to you.

While the beer may be the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of a brewpub, but there is another element which ultimately to having a fond experience there – the food.  As it turns out, this is another one of Landry’s passions, which means the food won’t be an overlooked component to Barley and Chops.  “As anyone who will meet me will see, I don’t miss a meal often, and I love to cook at home.”  The focus on the food will not simply end there, however.  Beer and food pairings are as popular a conversation piece among those in the know as wine and food pairings, and the menus at Landry’s brewpub will offer suggestions between the two.  Beer dinners, multi-course events featuring preselected pairings of a beer to a food item, will also be hosted.

While the exact location of the brewpub is yet to be finalized – a couple of Roanoke area locations are in the running – the intent is clear.  It resonates within Landry’s words.  “I think the bottom line is we want everyone to leave feeling like they had an experience.  A wow moment, if you will, with the beer, or the food or the pairing of both.”  As he speaks, I think back to the memories of his great aunt and uncles’ Inn, the Dungeon Ghyll, or the Four Alls.  They are locations of warm recollections, for many reasons in Landry’s life, yet are universal as well.  We all remember places and times such as the ones Landry recalls – places where fine beer, good food, and a comfortable environment for you and those who know you well instantly create stories of times spent together.  After years of remembering these locations and recalling their own stories, Landry is now creating Barley and Chops, a place to showcase his own beer recipes and to pair them with great food.  But stopping at that description simply feels a bit too academic, and leaves perhaps the most important feature out.  Because as you listen to Landry share those stories, it’s clear that Barley and Chops won’t just be his own brewpub.  Without a doubt, it will become his very own setting for new, lifelong memories for him and his patrons, created over a good cold beer and among those who know you best.

Follow Barley & Chops on Facebook!

Curious about Barley & Chops, and want more info?  Email William at info@barleyandchops.com.

Just a couple days ago however, Local Roots Restaurant added this amazing beer as well to their already impressive, well rounded tap line up as well, so pick your gps destination, downtown or Grandin Village.  Either way, do not miss a chance to have this beer if you’re curious about the many different styles of beer out there, and the vast flavors which come from beer’s basic ingredients or the ones brewers sometimes add to ­­­­a beer to even further the tasting experience, which is exactly what this particular beer is – it is not simply a fine example of American craft brewing, and certainly not just another good coffee infused stout.  It is the type of beer that you probably will remember the first time you had it – take it from me, I do.

Here’s the breakdown, straight from the Founders website:

“The coffee lover’s consummate beer. Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, bitter and imported chocolates, and Sumatra and Kona coffee, this stout has an intense fresh-roasted java nose topped with a frothy, cinnamon-colored head that goes forever.”

In other words, it slides across your mouth on a silken ribbon of smoothness, making the rounds over your tongue with a fullness that does not weigh you down but instead gives you a feeling of savory satisfaction from the coffee and bitter chocolate, and the body given the beer by the inclusion of those items and the oats.  To me, the experience that is having an FBS is that during tasting, there is a gratifying, all at once presentation of those flavors and the body of the beer, often referred to as velvety.  As you taste it, of course, give it some time in your mouth to feel out the flavors and the mouthfeel – your mind will bounce back and forth between both, perhaps not knowing which to focus on, before finally, quickly realizing it’s an all inclusive, immensely gratifying package.

Founders (Michigan) Breakfast Stout – Find it now at Local Roots Restaurant on Grandin Road and Lucky Restaurant downtown.  (And hurry, it won’t last long!)

You’ll have to forgive the appearance of the blog tonight.  Considering this weekend’s events in Roanoke craft beer wise, in another time and place, and in perhaps another medium (cable tv for TheBeerRoad one day?), you might have expected to see quickly streaming banners of information rushing across the screen, Fox or CNN style, complete with dramatic colorful graphics, screaming caps, and perhaps even gps powered maps over explaining just where to invest your attention, but alas, TheBeerRoad lacks all of this.  Maybe if the writer was better at coding HTML, right?

Truth be told, none of this is needed.   No need for talking heads behind a desk mentioning the same facts but in different order over and over. Because all of a sudden, there’s even more craft beer to be discussed than before that’s appeared in town, quite a bit more to be discussed. WAIT, tasted – then discussed.  And all of it within a very small area.

Hmm.  Looks like you got some caps out of me after all.

This weekend, Blue 5 downtown debuted their new tap system which is allowing them to put no fewer than 46, yes, forty six beers on draft.  The list is pretty impressive.  A few of the inaugural beers are personal India Pale Ale favorites Union Jack from Firestone Walker Brewing and Big Eye IPA from Ballast Point, and Founders Brewing’s Centennial IPA.  Leaning towards something less hoppy?  If you’re on the fence between something with both good malt character and hops, something a bit more balanced, North Coast’s Red Seal Ale has made a long overdue reappearance in the Star City, and Speakeasy’s Prohibition Ale is alongside as well.  Looking for something crisp to remind you of warmer days?  Try Germany’s Reissdorf Kolsch, or the American craft brewed Lagunitas Pilsner.  Curious of the endless mystery that is Belgian style ales?  There’s Allagash’s Black, a strong Belgian Dark Ale – and if I remember correctly, the first beer to sell out at Roanoke’s annual beer festival a couple years ago – and Ommegang’s Gnomegang, a Strong Pale Ale, to sip on and enjoy.

Of course, I’m leaving a bunch out, and soon, we’ll all need a scorecard to perhaps keep up with the choices at Blue 5.  Certainly, this is a good problem to have.  But around the corner at nearby Lucky Restaurant, the weekend just might have its most notable beer appearance.

That’s because craft beer fans across the country practically build their calendars around the annual releases of a few highly acclaimed but only annually produced brews.  It’s a short list that’s good to be on, but one that causes both quite a bit of stir and occasionally some disappointment.  Many of these annually produced and touted beers are created in smaller batches, and available on a limited release scale.  Live too many states away from a brewery that produces one of these beers, and it’s either road trip time or you’re living vicariously through others.  One that is produced and available fairly widely is Founder’s Breakfast Stout.  Sure, you were able to pick it up in stores a couple months ago.  But have you ever had it on tap?  Because right now, and I mean right now, as in rush to go taste it, it probably won’t last long, it’s on draft at Lucky.

Yes, it’s a big craft beer weekend in Roanoke.  But you didn’t need an over polished, over groomed anchor with to tell you that, did you?  Just grab your closest beer curious friends, and head downtown.  When that new favorite beer starts easing out of the tap, it’ll serve as your own version of a streaming banner.  And then, when you taste it, I promise it’ll all be dramatic enough.

Update, February 1:  For those of you who have told me that you truly enjoy having the local “On Tap” list down the right hand of the blog, trust me, I will be including Blue 5′s new 40+ beers here on the blog.  I’m only taking a few days to figure out the best (and easiest) way to present it, so hang in there, and The Beer Road will continue to be the best place to see a run down of all the best beer, on tap, here in Roanoke!

I couldn’t have agreed more.

Of course, I imagine he was speaking to the tap handle’s design.   Carved wood with a rough around the edges, weather and time beaten look, they had a worn and hand crafted created feel, down to the letters in each beer’s name having been etched and burned into the front.  They looked as if your grandfather had carefully and lovingly fashioned them decades ago in his woodshed out back.  I was instantly reminded of the brewery’s Nelson County location – a cozy building of sturdy but weathered looking wood and the perfect ski lodge feel to it, nestled within the naturally gorgeous mountains of the Blue Ridge.

But as answered him back in agreement, I was thinking less about design.  After months of anticipation, those tap handles meant Devils Backbone beer was on draft here in Roanoke, finally.  Stepping back from the bar, I stopped again to take stock of the whole scene.  The line to taste each of the four beers Coe was showcasing was growing, and there were plenty of folks interested.  I overheard more than a few comments about how drinkable and good the brewery’s Vienna Lager is, the Hefeweizen pleased those not completely sold on the style before, and the Milk Stout, making a rare appearance outside the brewpub’s walls, ran out early.

As I left the event, I took another quick look at the pictures I took of those tap handles.  With distribution right around the corner for the brewery, I have a feeling that seeing them at your favorite spot for a beer is going to be a regular and welcome sight for myself, and for quite a few other lucky beer lovers in Roanoke.

If you didn’t get out to the Blue 5 event, watch out for several others coming up in February to get you ready for the brewery’s distribution to Virginia and Roanoke.  Check them out here on the BeerRoad. Until then, check out some snapshots from Thursday  night’s event below!

Beginning as a brewpub located in picturesque Nelson County, just a few miles south of Charlottesville, Devils Backbone expanded last year, beginning construction on a production brewery location near Lexington.  Brewing began in the last couple months or so, and rumor is that Devils Backbone hopes to have draft selections in this area in place by late next month, and bottles in stores soon thereafter.  During the brewery’s first year, production will most likely reach ten times that of the brewpub, topping out around ten thousand barrels.  While the brewpub will continue to operate more or less as a research and development type of location, trying out and experimenting with all sorts of different beer styles, the Lexington location has been hard at work on Devils Backbone’s “flagship” beers, primarily their Eight Point India Pale Ale (IPA) and their Vienna Lager.

Both of those beers will be surely featured at the Blue 5 event tomorrow night, along with a couple others.  Among the other two could possibly be the brewery’s delicious Scottish style ale, Ale of Fergus.  The event is open to the public, and DBB brewery representatives will be on hand to welcome everyone to their beers and answer questions.

Ready for Devils Backbone beer here in the Valley?  Let’s all raise a glass to their introduction tomorrow night then, it’s finally here.

Cheers.

Visit the brewery’s website here.

A cozy pub on a cold, bitter winter’s night.  Inside, the warm glow of a healthy fire crackling in the fireplace is providing just enough light, and a comfortable spot at the bar is waiting.  Some friendly conversation among the other patrons supplies casual, light background noise, and it all makes for a perfect, safe haven against the bitter temperatures and the swirling winds outside.  Taking a spot at the bar, it’s time for a pint of beer.  So what’ll it be?

Few things in life bring the sweet and simple joy as warming up after coming in from the cold.   Universally understood and thankfully simple, actions such as sitting next to a warm fire, or coming home to a hot, home cooked meal would probably be tops on most peoples’ lists.  But on a particularly blustery recent night, as I could hear the wind swirling around outside the house, picking up dry leaves and slapping them against the window, I thought of the image of the cozy pub, and that glass of beer.  And while the perfect cozy pub complete with crackling fire and warm ambient light might be a tough setting to find, enjoying the beer just might just transport your mind to such a place, even if you’re only sitting at home.  But that still leaves the question, what beer?  Picture our pub again.  I tend to think that cold winter nights often make one think of a darker beer.  You could jump directly to a stout, and their deeply roasted malt character, but what other options are there?  Something with a lighter, toasted malt character and just a little girth to seem perfect for warming the soul against the winds outside.  This is where a good Scottish Ale fits perfectly in to the equation, and helps complete the feel of that cozy pub, even if it’s only being enjoyed from home.

While the traditional method of naming these ales in Scotland – linked to the amount of tax levied on the malt, or malted grain, used to make them, and in turn to the price of a cask of it (60, 70, and 80 Shilling Ales) – is now outdated, the malt used in these beers is still the most valuable part of the beer.  To put it simply, Scottish Ales are all about the malt. From the type and amount of malted grain used to particular brewing techniques employed in the making of these beers, it all showcases the slightly sweet, caramel like flavors which malt provide beer.  The techniques used include a longer than usual boil time for the mixture of the grain and water early in the brewing process called the “wort”, causing a caramelization of the ingredients, which in turn helps to produce the sweet, caramel like flavors in the end product, and also their copper like color.  Brewers also manipulate the temperatures during this process, which cause a greater amount of unfermentable sugars to end up in the beer, again affecting the style’s sweet character.  Low hop levels only round out the focus on the grain.  And although that traditional naming method may have seen its time come and go, today, these beers are still often classified similarly, depending primarily on their alcohol level, into “Light”, “Heavy” and “Export”.  Stronger versions of the style are called a Scotch Ale, or Wee Heavy.  One of the most interesting tasting notes about these ales is that often there is a vague smokiness to them, something that arguably may have come from the chemical make-up of the water once used to make these beers.  One of my personal favorites, Devils Backbone’s Ale of Fergus, seems to have a faint smokiness to it, which only adds another layer of flavor to the beer’s light, malty sweetness.

On that recent chilly winter’s night, I happened to have a Scottish Ale in my glass.  I thought of the perfect little pub in some distant, chilly countryside town, windows glowing from a fire within, and realized I felt just as cozy where I was as I would’ve probably felt there.  I’m sure it was mostly the sweet process of simply warming up after being outside that made me feel that way, but as I took another sip, I instantly knew it was also the perfect match of the beer to the moment.  Certainly, the style is a delicious one to go with year round, but tonight, seemed to be a good fit.  The tiny bubbles rising from the bottom were quietly forming a tight swirling pattern on the surface of the beer, and as I settled down, relaxing and happy that I was inside on such a night, I let my mind believe those bubbles were mimicking, and maybe even mocking, those swirling and chilly winds outside.

Additional info, and examples: Scottish and Scotch (Wee Heavy) Ales might be perfect for chilly nights, again, these beers are great year round.  However, some of the “Winter Warmer” beers that show up on the shelves this time of year are often Scottish Ales.  Here are some examples of American brewed, craft versions of these beers:  Brooklyn Brewery’s Winter Ale, Long Trail’s Hibernator Ale, St. George Brewing’s Scottish Style Ale, Bell Brewing’s Christmas Ale, Duck Rabbit’s Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, Oskar Blues’ Old Chub, Great Divide Brewing’s Claymore, and Stone Brewing’s Highway 78.

 
While perhaps not as iconic as the Mystery Machine, a new van has recently been spotted roaming around my own city, and as far as I’m concerned, it has been entrusted with a mission just as important as unveiling who’s really behind a mask of glowing seaweed. Its purpose, of course, is to deliver beer. It is the latest in a small but growing fleet of delivery vans owned by P.A. Short Distributing, each of which has been beautifully and colorfully painted – that’s right, pull over, flower van – with the logos and accompanying graphics of a regionally based craft brewery which the distributor carries. The most recent addition to the company’s three vans is a flag bearer on wheels for Devils Backbone, the award winning and Virginia based Nelson County brewpub now spun off to full-fledged production brewery in Rockbridge County. And it’s gorgeous. And no, I’m not just stuck on the fact this van is going to soon be bringing Devils Backbone’s very good beer to a store near me. Ok, perhaps that’s a little of it, but in addition to delivering DBB’s beers, the van does actually have more in common with the Mystery Machine than basic vehicle design. As it turns out, the Devils Backbone van does help to bring one small mystery to a close.

 
On the rear of the DBB van, right under the window, is painted the name of one of the two beers which will lead the brewery to its markets – their Vienna Lager. If you’ve visited the brewpub just south of Charlottesville, you have probably tried this very drinkable yet tasty interpretation of the forerunner of Oktoberfest style beers. Built upon a lightly toasted malt flavor with subtle sweetness and low hop presence, it’s a great introduction for anyone who hasn’t made the trip to the brewpub, or even those still curious about craft beer and hasn’t made the jump quite yet. If you’ve done both, like myself, you’re already looking forward to always keeping some of these in the fridge at the ready.

So if you happen to see this friendly beer lugging van doing laps around the Roanoke area soon, maybe give it a wave, or a honk, or maybe a friendly thumbs up. (Personally, I just caught myself day dreaming of taking it for a spin, talk about showing off to the neighbors.) Just no tailgating! Remember, there are precious bottles in there. Besides, who needs the Mystery Machine or the A-Team when there’s really good beer inside this van?

Visit the Devils Backbone Website Here!

Tickets for the beer dinner with Devils Backbone are not yet available to the public, yet the restaurant is tying the event to the planned introduction of its Local Roots Beer Club on January 4^th.  Club members will be able to purchase tickets to this and other future events before they are made public, and will also be able to take advantage of a $5 sampling of all eight of the restaurants’ tap selections during any visit to the restaurant.  Previously, the specially priced sampling was only available once a month.  Membership will be $5 and will also include food specials as well.

Details for the Local Roots beer dinner with DBB will follow.  The only thing to focus on is how your week at the beach is still months – chilly, blustery months may I add – away.  So put this and the other dates in your calendar, the winter is about to become a good bit more bearable.  From the beautiful brewpub just up the road near Charlottesville to the impressive production brewery in Rockbridge County, one of Virginia’s own craft breweries is readying for its appearance in stores and on taps around Virginia.  So come out and support Devils Backbone during its rollout week of events!  Suddenly, there’s a reason for time off during the winter.

Devils Backbone Brewery Website

Local Roots Restaurant, Grandin Road in Roanoke

So as you survive yet another extended family get together, and therefore survive re-introductions to distant family members perhaps only seen once a year, I thought our Devils Backbone countdown needed to include its own introductions.  Needless to say, these will be A LOT more fun.  As it turns out, the fine folks at DBB and P.A. Short, their distributor in the Roanoke area, thought some formal introductions were in order as well.  Even before construction at their “Outpost” production brewery near Lexington could see a light at the end of the tunnel, the word from Devils Backbone was that the crew there wanted to build close relationships with the people in the areas they would be soon shipping their beer to.  No simply putting their beers out there and expecting us to buy it, followed by the occasional sighting at a festival here and there.  So DBB is planning on giving us not one, but several events in the Roanoke area at which both the brewery and we, the craft beer curious, can properly get to know each other.  And yes, by meet properly, I mean over glasses of Devils Backbone’s award winning, delicious beer.

Of course, the countdown to being able to find DBB’s beer on tap and in stores comes down to more than even good, well crafted beer.  For those of us in the area who have made trips up to their original brewpub location Nelson County, or who have tasted Devils Backbone beer at events such as Microfestivus and BrewDo and have already become fans of their beer, there is a sense of regional pride attached to their growth.  To fans of good beer in this and other areas which DBB will soon begin shipping to, this has an added “feel good” vibe to it.  After all, within the nationwide fascination and growth in the popularity of craft beer, this is the story of a Virginia brewery, of “one of our own”.

Several dates are planned already to introduce Devils Backbone and their beers to you and I near the end of January and the first part of February, as the brewery leads up to distribution.  Below, you’ll find the ones we know about so far, but more could be in the planning.  This is the countdown to look forward to, so mark your calendars.  We’ll all get through the mall traffic and the long cash register lines, and soon enough, you’ll have a Devils Backbone beer in hand.  You’ll be grinning from ear to ear of course, and you’ll even forget you’re even wearing your “new” multicolored sweater.

January 19^th – Devils Backbone “Sneak Preview” at Blue 5.  Four taps of Devils Backbone beer to introduce you properly.

February 9^th – Devils Backbone Rollout Event at the Salem Macados location with sampling opportunities available.

February 10^th – Downtown event in the Market Building, part of a new Winter event.  Passes will most likely be given out at the previous events listed above to attend this one for free!

February 11^th – Devils Backbone Rollout Event at Buffalo Wild Wings (Tanglewood location) with sampling opportunities available.

Visit the Devils Backbone website here!