Devils Backbone Brewing Co. was named Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup earlier this month in Boulder, Colo.

The company, which is headquartered in Nelson County and has a second production facility just north of Lexington, also won eight medals, including two gold and two silver.

Here is a press release from Devils Backbone with more details about the awards:

Roseland, Va.  — Devils Backbone Brewing Company was recognized as the Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year in addition to taking home eight medals at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival (GABF).  Devils Backbone, headquartered in Nelson County,  and with its Outpost Brewery production facility just north of Lexington in Rockbridge County, has won more medals and awards at The Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup than any other single brewery in the Mid-Atlantic region — and more than the other 45 breweries in Virginia combined –  in its four-year history.

Devils Backbone was awarded Gold -Vienna Lager (Vienna Lager category), Gold -Berliner Metro Weiss (German Sour Ale category), Silver – Danzig (Baltic-Style Porter category), Silver -Turbo Cougar (Bock category), Bronze -Gold Leaf Lager (American-Style or International-Style Pilsener category), Bronze – Ramsey’s Draft Stout (Irish-Style Dry Stout category), Bronze -Ramsey’s Export Stout (Foreign-Style Stout category).  The eight medals awarded to Devil’s Backbone represent the most medals received by any single brewery at this year’s festival. The Devils Backbone team received the awards on Oct. 13 in Boulder, Colo.

“It is hard to explain how monumental these awards are in the brewing industry, and they highlight the amazing good fortune and talent of our brewers and staff at DBBC. Our history, in a few short years of operation, has been remarkable as a result of winning dozens of medals, 2010 World Beer Cup for Small Brew Pub, The 2012 Virginia Cup for Best of Show, and now the 2012 Great American Beer Festival for a Small Brew Pub. This puts Devils Backbone Brewing Company in the unique position of being recognized as one of the country’s most outstanding craft breweries. Additionally we are heartened by our new Outpost Brewery’s recognition of making world class craft beer. None of this of course would be possible without the support of our partners and more importantly the community of craft beer enthusiasts who reach for a Devils Backbone beer whenever they are looking to slow down and enjoy the moment,” said Steve Crandall, owner of Devils Backbone.

Since opening Basecamp Brewpub in 2008 at the base of Wintergreen Mountain in Nelson County, and then its production facility in 2011 on U.S. Route 11 just north of Lexington, it has been the consistent quality of beers that has propelled Devils Backbone into a leadership role for craft beer in the heartland.  Their prestigious collection of nationally recognized medals includes seventeen Great American Beer Festival medals and five World Beer Cup awards.  Devils Backbone has also been recognized for Small Brewpub and Brewer of the year two times at 2010 World Beer Cup and at the 2012 Great American Beer Festival respectively.