Although the economic downturn prevented the neighborhood from flourishing, the brewpub was a regional success. “The Village at Glen Mary” community was born and its flagship business would be the Devils Backbone Brewing Company, opening its doors in 2008. With some great friends, the Crandall’s began to further foster the idea of a small, environmentally sensitive, pedestrian-friendly, and community-focused business development. This added water to the original seed and further solidified the idea that there needed to be a brewpub in the Nelson County community the Three Ridges Wilderness area seemed like a perfect place to bring great food and beer to the people. Brewpubs, mountains, skiing, biking, hiking, bird watching and running go together, right? In Europe most small towns have their own pubs that are an important part of the social fabric of the community.

More travels throughout the Western United States brought more exposure to craft beer, as the common denominator for most great outdoor destinations was a brewpub… and, there were lots of them. Founders, Steve and Heidi Crandall were on a ski trip and were introduced to a German beer called Weihenstephan. This first real “craft” beer experience started a trend in the Crandall household, planting the seed that slowly grew into an idea, and then bloomed to become Devils Backbone Brewing Company. One might say the spark for the idea behind the brewery happened in 1992 with a visit to Cortina, Italy.

Devil backbone brewing company