Start copying/pasting your anti-takeover post from months back. At this point every beer blogger in America probably has a standard blog post template for SABInBevMiller “acquisitions”.
This time it is Devil’s Backbone Brewing of Virginia that has joined the “High End” making it the eighth company in that division of the multi-national industrial conglomerate. But it is also unique from past sellers in two ways. It bucks the trend of West & Mid-West breweries and DB has been a Great American Beer Festival darling. winning many a medal but also taking brewery of the year in numerous categories as it grew to its current size.
“…national titles for GABF 2014 Mid-Sized Brewing Company and Brew Team of the Year, 2013 Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brew Team of the Year, and 2012 Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year.”
DB has two locations, their Outpost which is the main production hub and their Basecamp & Meadows which is the primary guest destination Their Vienna Lager is the flagship of their Germanic-hued line of beers.
If you are worried about the beer quality, well either this statement will help or not, “While we are joining a creative group of craft breweries in the division, Devils Backbone will retain a high level of autonomy and continue its own authentic DNA within The High End framework,” brewery co-founder Steve Crandall explained in a press release on April 12th.
As I have explained before, don’t automatically write the latest “High End” entrant off completely. Put them on a watch list and see if the beer starts to decline or if the management or brewing team starts to leave. Some breweries have handled the transition well and others have not. Let’s hope that Devil’s Backbone doesn’t GRB it.