WASHINGTON — Anheuser-Busch has agreed to acquire Devils Backbone, the eight-year-old Virginia brewer best known for its Vienna Lager, for an undisclosed sum.
Devils Backbone, based in Lexington, Virginia will become part of The High End, Anheuser-Busch’s craft beer division.
Devils Backbone co-founder Steve Crandall says the brewer will continue to operate independently.
“The existing management team plans to stay on board for many years, while continuing to innovate and bring locally crafted Virginia beer to the nation,” Crandall said.
Devils Backbone’s Outpost Brewery & Taproom, in Lexington, is the primary production brewery. Its Basecamp Brewpub & Meadows, in Roseland, serves as a visitor destination, with 100 acres of property surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Devils Backbone says its two locations hosted more than 500,000 guests in 2015.
Vienna Lager accounts for about 60 percent of Devils Backbone’s volume. Its other beers include Eight Point IPA and Schwartz Bier.
Devils Backbone will join beers such as Shock Top, Goose Island, Blue Point and Breckenridge Brewery in Anheuser-Busch’s The High End group.
