Photos via Blue Mountain Brewery : BMB came home with a gold & silver medal from the Great American Beer Festival held in Denver a few days ago.

Denver, Colorado &
Nelson County, Virginia

Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton was awarded the Gold medal at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival in Denver Colorado. Their English-style summer ale category for their end-of-summer seasonal beer, Summer Lovin. The brewery also took the Silver medal in the highly coveted American-Belago-style ale category for their hop harvest beer, Blue Reserve made solely from the Cascade and Centennial hops grown onsite at BMB. “This has to be the first time a bee made solely with Virginia hops has taken a medal in the largest beer competition in the world. I am very proud of our brewing team and especially honored to be recognized for the Blue Reserve,” said Taylor Smack, co-owner, founder and brewmaster at BMB.

Photo via Devils Backbone: DBBC won a silver for Tommy Two Fist, category: Dortmunder/German-style Oktoberfest at the GABF in Denver. Pictured above are Steve Crandall, Aaron Reilly, Nate Olewine and Jason Oliver of DBBC and President Charlie Papazian of the Brewer's Association.

Congrats to both Nelson breweries!

Both Nelson Breweries took home gold at this years Great American Beer Festival in Colorado.

Denver, Colorado
Nelson County’s breweries have taken wins during The Great American Beer Festival held this past weekend in Denver Colorado. Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton won a gold for their Sandy Bottom in the American-Style Wheat Beer category. 22 other entries were in the category with BMB. “We won the Gold in the very first category (American-style wheat) of the competition. The premier of this beer at the pub will be this Thursday, so it’s a cool way to roll it out. And Kolsch 151 got a bronze in the German-style Kolsch category! Funny that all those folks in the audience had no idea what the “151″ meant,” laughs Taylor Smack, head brewmaster and co-owner of Blue Mountain.

Photo Courtesy of Heidi Crandall : ©www.nelsoncountylife.com : Aaron Reilly, (brewer at DBBC), Charlie Papazian, with the Brewers Association, Steve Crandall (owner DBBC) and Jason Oliver, (head brewmaster) at DBBC accept their awards Saturday night in Denver.

Devils Backbone Brewing Company in Roseland (Beech Grove) walked away a big winner for the 2nd year since opening. DBBC took home two gold medals and two bronze medals. In the gold categories their Baltic Coffee won in the Coffee Flavored Beer (52 Entries). Their Gold Leaf Lager won gold in the American-Style or International-Style Pilsener (27 Entries). In the bronze category their Ale of Fergus English-Style Mild Ale (27 Entries) along with their Wintergreen Weiss South German-Style Hefeweizen (65 Entries).

Nelson’s breweries (part of the larger Brew Ridge Trail) went home as two of the three winners in Virginia this year. The only other Virginia brewery winning this year was Great American Restaurant (Sweetwater Tavern) in Centerville, Virginia. The won a gold for their GAR Pale Ale.

It was just back in April of 2010 that Nelson breweries gained recognition as winners in the World Beer Cup.

You can read about all of the winners in this years GABF by clicking here.

David Turley has more here on his Musings Over A Pint website.

Congrats to BMB and DBBC! Way to go!

Jacque Landry, (partner & brewer South Street Brewery) Matt Nucci, (brewer and co-owner Blue Mountain Brewery) Mark Thompson, (owner and brewmaster Starr Hill) Aaron Reilly, (brewer Devils Backbone) and Jason Oliver, (head brewmaster Devils Backbone) stand by one of the two tanks of a collaborative brew being made for release at this year's Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival in August.

Crozet
Albemarle County, Virginia
What happens when you get five of the best brewers together in one room? A totally awesome beer is born! Five different brewers spent much of Friday at Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet working on a special batch of beer that will be released at this year’s Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival being held on August 21st at Devils Backbone Brewing Company. “It’s a new style that’s been made popular on the west coast called a Black IPA. All of us sort of collaborated on this recipe,” says Jacque Landry, partner & brewer at South Street Brewery in Charlottesville.

Four Different Breweries all have a hand in making the special collaborative brew:

-Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton

-Devils Backbone Brewing in Roseland

-South Street Brewery in Charlottesville

-Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet

Mark Thompson, owner of Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet, talks to a reporter from CBS-19 about the special brew to be released in August at the Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival here in Nelson County.

“It’s 25 barrels which is about 50 kegs of beer. It’s just an opportunity for all of us to get together and come up with a special brew, Jacque continues.

Matt Nucci of Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton (left) looks on a Mark Thompson, owner of Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet, checks the special batch being brewed. Jacque Landry, brewer and partner at South Street Brewery in Charlottesville, enjoys a sample of the beers that will be available at the BRTMF in August.

The beer won’t be available until the Brew Ridge Trail Music Festival kicks off next month.

See you there on August 21st!

Photo By Paul Purpura : ©2009 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Folks turned out in their best costumes Saturday night at Devils Backbone Brewing's Halloween Party.

Nelson County, Virginia
It was a night of ghosts and goblins, and fun, for Halloween 2009 in Nelson County. Events were held all over the place, including the 1st of what is surely to become an annual Halloween Party at Devils Backbone Brewing. Our Paul Purpura was there to grab some of the outrageous costumes and fun!

Click on any of the photos to enlarge.

Is that DBBC manager, Chris Trotter? Nah, must be his sister.

The Mississippi Leghounds entertained the crowd at DBBC.

Here’s a few more random pics from DBBC before we head on to other events in the county.

This person sure does remind me of a winemaker I know, mmmmm.

Up the road 10 miles or so in Afton, they were having fun too!

Photos By Tommy Stafford : ©2009 www.nelsoncountylife.com : Up at Blue Mountain Brewery, mom Jan Smith Vogelgesang and son (Bill Monroe) Louis Vogelgesang dressed up for the night!

Yes, Adam Stafford was out this Halloween, dressed as a pumpkin, here with his sitter Mallory Crandall. We can't say what Mallory was for Halloween! Ask Her!

Across the road at a.m. Fog, they held Trunk and Treat for kids and adults!

That brewmaster and bee look might familiar. Maybe Taylor Smack and son Hayden??

Superman provided security for the night.

a.m. Fog's Yvonne Harris with daughter Olivia. Wow she is growing up fast!

Adam decided to take a lap around the parking lot in his pumpkin outfit!

This was the first year for trunk and treat at a.m. Fog. Trunk and treat has become a popular alternative to traditional trick or treating in recent years.

See you at next year’s Halloween 2010!

Event Date: Thursday 6th of August 2009 02:31 PM

Location/Address: 9519 Critzers Shop Rd. (Rt. 151) Afton

Contact Telephone Please call 540-456-8020 for more information

This post was submitted by Mandi Smack.

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=367974626

Event Date: Friday 13th of February 2009 07:00 PM

Location/Address: 9519 Critzers Shop Rd. (Rt. 151)

Contact Telephone Please call 540-456-8020 for more information

This post was submitted by Mandi.

The Stoned Masons will perform live at Blue Mountain Brewery this Saturday January 18th..

Live Music : Stoned Masons @ Blue Mountain Brewery : January 18th 2009

January 18th 2009 Stoned Masons (2:30 – 5:00 PM)

Stoned Masons on the web by clicking here.

Call 540-456-8020 for more info. Location: 9519 Critzers Shop Road (Rt. 151) in Afton.

Visit Blue Mountain Brewery by clicking here.

Call 540-456-8020 for more info. Location: 9519 Critzers Shop Road (Rt. 151) in Afton.

Visit Blue Mountain Brewery by clicking here.

Call 540-456-8020 for more info. Location: 9519 Critzers Shop Road (Rt. 151) in Afton.

Visit Blue Mountain Brewery by clicking here.

Photo By Tommy Stafford : Mandi Smack, co-owner of Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, Virginia packs up a six pack of Lights Out, holiday beer.

This is a fantastic time of year, and in Nelson County, Virginia it’s even better. Many of the breweries and wineries make a special collection of their beers and wines for the holidays. At Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, Virginia they have several holiday beers out now for the season. Lights Out seen above, is just one of them!

These guys just keep coming up with great beers! Just in time for Christmas. I’ve had it, and it’s very good!

Mandi draws a glass of Lights Out for a customer at BMB.

Brewmaster, Jason Oliver, Of Devils Backbone Brewing in Beech Grove checks gauges in the brew house.

It’s official, Nelson’s 2nd microbrewery is on the way to opening in a little more than a couple of weeks. Within the past day or so Brewmaster, Jason Oliver, of Devils Backbone Brewing Company, fired up the system making the first of what will be countless batches of custom beers turned out at the brewery / restaurant along the road leading up to Wintergreen Resort. “We’re checking everything and making sure the system is working correctly as we begin brewing,” says Jason.

We have been following the development of Nelson’s next microbrewery first here, and most recently here. The restaurant / brewery has a tentative opening of mid November. DBBC will join ,already established, Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton that’s been in operation now for about a year.

Jason checks on one of the batches currently brewing at Devils Backbone.

The brewery is one part of The Village At Glen Mary near the intersection of Route 664 and 151.

Jason checks sugar levels and viscosity of his brew.

In addition to brewing, all of the floors have been recently stained. Furniture arrives next week prior to the opening later in November.

We’ll keep you posted on the progress!

By Tommy Stafford : Brewmaster, Jason Oliver, stands behind the newly installed copper topped bar at Devil's Backbone near Wintergreen.

As NCL has been following since the beginning, the wait will soon be over for Nelson’s second microbrewery scheduled to open next month in the Beech Grove area of Nelson County, Virginia. That’s on the two lane highway leading up to Wintergreen Resort, just south of Nellysford. Steve Crandall, founder of Devil’s Backbone Brewing Company, tells NCL they are shooting to open next month. “We’re looking at mid November, depending on which way things fall,” he says. This week, the building reminiscent of a Rockies style lodge, was covered up with carpenters, electricians, and a lots of other contractors scurrying to finish by next month. Steve says he wants to make the mid November opening, but realizes a variety of factors and timing could alter that by at least couple of weeks.

Left, Shawn Goodwin, Executive Chef at Devil's Backbone, discusses new kitchen equipment with Crandall, center, and one of the equipment suppliers.

“This week the kitchen appliances are being installed. We’re running some of the last bits of the electrical and gas lines. The cabinetry and plumbing fixtures are going in this week. We’re also working to put the last finishing touches on the brew house where we’ll actually be making the beer,” adds Crandall.

One worker puts stain on the trim of a second story window.

Devil’s Backbone will join Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton as Nelson’s second microbrewery that opened in October of last year. Crandall sees his brewery and restaurant as a compliment to Blue Mountain and says the relationship of brewers is a special one. “Taylor’s been down here to see what we’re doing and has even offered to help us with different parts of this. There’s a very unique brotherhood of brewers in the brewing community. There’s a belief that a rising tide lifts all ships, and Taylor was certainly the pioneer in coming into Nelson County,” Crandall continues.

Contractors are busy finishing up the exterior of the brewery and restaurant near the intersection of VA Route 664 & 151.

Eventually Devil’s Backbone and Blue Mountain will both be a part of a beer trail stretching out of Albemarle and Charlottesville, similar to the wine trails for the already established wineries in Nelson.

Executive Chef, Shawn Goodwin, stands in the soon to be completed kitchen of the restaurant.

Look for more updates as things progress.

HoboJac plays at BMB November 26th : Photo By Marie Dennis

Hobojac (6:30 – 9 pm) Call 540-456-8020 for more info. Location: 9519 Critzers Shop Road (Rt. 151) in Afton.

More on HoboJac here: www.myspace.com/hobojac

Blue Mountain Brewery – Afton, Virginia

Brian Chandler : Solo Acoustic Jams : At BMB : Nov 20th 2008

Brian Chandler (7-9 pm) Call 540-456-8020 for more info. Location: 9519 Critzers Shop Road (Rt. 151) in Afton.

More about Brian here: www.myspace.com/brianchandleracoustic

Blue Mountain Brewery – Afton, Virginia

www.bluemountainbrewery.com