Hey Bartender

RECENTLY, THE RICHMOND area was introduced to Devils Backbone Brewing Company. Several events were scheduled throughout the city so that beer lovers from the four corners of the city would have no trouble attending at least one. I wanted to attend them all, but my schedule only allowed me to enjoy one of them. Fortunately, the most convenient choice was a pub crawl. What better way to sample good food and good beer than to move from one place to another for a couple of hours with like-minded beer lovers?

Before we talk about the crawl, let's start with a little history. Devils Backbone Brewing Company was established in 2008 by Steve Crandall. In its short existence, the beers from Devils Backbone have garnered several awards, including the World Beer Cup Champion Brewery and Brewmaster Small Brewpub in 2010. According to myth, Mr. Crandall's passion for craft beer and brewing comes from spending an inordinate amount of time backpacking and skiing in the western part of the country. The success of the breweries he encountered left an indelible mark on him and were the reason that he chose a location at the base of the Wintergreen resort as the home for his brewpub. Apparently, he recognized that quite a few of those successful breweries were located in and around mountainous areas. These days, Devils Backbone is putting the finishing touches on an additional facility in Lexington that will dramatically increase its production giving us even more good beer in the months to come.

Pub Crawls are fun, especially when the venues that participate in the crawl are small, intimate spaces that allow the crawlers to mingle while enjoying good food and good beer. I was excited about the crawl because it gave me a chance to visit a couple of places that I had heard about, but never got the chance to visit. The first stop was Commercial Taphouse, located on Robinson Street in The Fan. Their claim to fame is that it was Richmond's first ever taphouse. When I arrived, the crawl was well underway. A crowd of beer lovers was already enjoying Devils Backbone beers, so I joined the party. The taphouse featured the Ale of Fergus and Vienna Lager.

I started with the Ale of Fergus, a Scotch ale that has a deep amber color with a light tan head when drawn into a pint glass. I really enjoyed this fine adult beverage. The nose had notes of toffee and caramel malt, with hints of hops as well. It tastes as good as it smells. It's well-balanced with sweet caramel, malt, and hops. The finish has a slight hoppy bitterness. If I weren't crawling, I'd have had another Fergus for sure. I also sampled the Vienna Lager, a dark amber colored beer with a fluffy white head. I could smell caramel up front with a hint of malt. I definitely tasted malt, but there was also a hint of something sweet. It may have been grapes and toffee. I'm not a big lager drinker, but I really enjoyed this one.

After about an hour of mingling at Commercial Taphouse, we made our way to Secco Wine Bar. Secco is located on Cary Street in Carytown. They are known for their wines, but they also have an excellent selection of beers in bottles and on tap. For the crawl, they dedicated one of their taps to Schwartz Bier. For those unfamiliar with this style, the name is German for black beer. Unlike porters and stouts, schwarzbier isn't overly bitter. Instead, they are refreshing, soul lifting beers. They are a great alternative when you're looking for a lighter beer with a depth of color and taste. Schwarz Bier is dark brown with very little if any head at all. It has an earthy smell with grass and hops in the background. The taste is mild with roasted malt and hints of chocolate and caramel. The body is thin, but crisp. It's definitely an alternative for those who want a light beer with flavor and color. I really enjoyed it. Secco is also known for its great food. For the crawl, their chefs prepared a kielbasa dish with bread and spicy mustard to pair with the Schwarz Bier. It was a perfect compliment.

The last stop on our epic Devils Backbone crawl was Caliente. Located on Park Avenue, Caliente is known for its spicy foods. I'd always wanted to check it out, so I was excited to find that it was the final destination on the crawl. Caliente had the Eight Point IPA and Kilt Flasher on tap. Kilt Flasher is a Scotch Ale aged in wood casks. The dark brown color was very appealing to the eye and the amazing caramel, vanilla, oak, burnt sugar, and apple aromas caught me off guard. I wasn't surprised to taste caramel, brown sugar, wood, bourbon, vanilla and spices. It was very smooth and very delicious. I ended the evening with the Eight Point IPA. I love the India Pale Ale style and this one did not disappoint me at all. The nose was full of hops -- just the way I like it. My first taste was more of the same -- lots of bitter hops with a solid presence of malt as well. Overall, it was what I like about an IPA. I'd definitely drink it again, especially since it only weighs in at 5.90% ABV. I paired it with an order of french fries that came with a choice of two of the many spicy sauces that Caliente specializes in. The IPA helped simmer down the heat from the sauces. If the sauces are any indication of what Caliente can do, then I can't wait to go back to try more of their spicy delights.

So, there you have it, Devils Backbone Brewing Company -- uncorked! I'd like to thank Commercial Taphouse, Secco Wine Bar, and Caliente for their hospitality. I'd also like to thank Brown Distributing and Devils Backbone for making this event possible. As a beer drinker, I'm always excited to hear about new breweries and new beers. Devils Backbone is a welcomed addition to my catalog of favorites as well as the Richmond beer community. I'm sure that they'll do well here. As always, whether drinking Devils Backbone beers alone or with friends, please do so responsibly. Until next time...prosit!!!