Jessica Carter, the agritourism manager, said, “We are excited to be able to bring more customers here to basecamp and give them a true DB adventure complete with hiking trails, native pollinator gardens, and hands-on gardening experiences. Crisp lettuce and fresh, juicy tomatoes from the hoop houses are sent to the kitchen. The gardens provide fresh flowers for the restaurant and herbs like juniper for the new distillery. Nearby River Oak Farm, for instance, provides chicken and beef, though, to keep food and beverage operations even more local, team members are also growing food for use in the restaurant and in the brewery and distillery. By using local ingredients they accomplish both, sourcing as much as they can from local farms and providers. Being an active member of the community is important to the team, as is taking care of the land and resources. Walking around the grounds, we wandered by two hoop houses and a garden-the heart of the brewery’s agritourism program. Its vintage stove made me think of cozy afternoons spent in the company of friends. I’m already planning my visit back for one of the rare beers they serve in this seasonal room full of antiques, recycled material, and bar stools that date back to the late 1700s. With an open grill and smoker, its menu focuses on quick, outside-friendly dishes such as burgers, bratwurst, and the Devils Backbone BBQ Sundae, featuring cornbread, baked beans, coleslaw, and pulled-pork barbeque. It reminded me immediately of the snack-shack at the summer camps I attended as a kid, but the food is much, much better. The flavors are a feedback-loop of perfection-the peach enhancing the fruity beer, the beer making the quintessential summer-peach extra special.ĭevils Backbone also provides guests a fast-casual option at the Oak Grill, if sitting outside is more your speed. We also ordered an excellent peach cobbler for dessert, though the show-stopper was a peach popsicle served stick-up in a glass of Berliner Metro Weiss, a German-style sour ale. Many dishes, like the barbeque, use Devils Backbone beer as an ingredient, and when the chef is creative, both the beer and the food shine. It’s the perfect balance of a chewy inside and crisp outside, and it’s possible there was a friendly tug-of-war over the last bite at our table. The barbeque is a basecamp specialty and, for the record, has earned this Southern girl’s stamp of approval. And delicious! The food alone is worth the drive out. The result is a meal that’s both comforting and trend-setting. There, Chef Frank Debons has created a menu that leans toward traditional brewery fare in the best way possible-built around the beer and local ingredients. We launched our girls’-getaway weekend with lunch in the brewpub, an excellent way to kick-off a fun trip catching up with friends. And on a recent trip to the basecamp, we did just that. Though Devils Backbone provides excellent WiFi, it’s easy to unplug and simply enjoy the experience. It’s clear you’re meant to relax and stay a while. There’s good food, good beer, outdoor adventure, and plenty of places to hang out with friends, old and new. “Folks are talking to each other, introducing each other, kids are running around,” Heidi says of the outcome.Įverything about the basecamp and brewery exudes hospitality and engagement. Steve chose the location to be a nexus for outdoor adventure, and Heidi wanted everyone to feel welcome-to provide a place where people could gather, unplug, and have fun. Steve and Heidi Crandall started the brewery in 2008. Just down the road there’s a trailhead for the Appalachian Trail, and, up the mountain, sprawls Wintergreen Resort, the state’s largest ski area. The Devils Backbone Brewery, and its basecamp brewpub and meadow, sits on 100 acres amid the Blue Ridge Mountains near Wintergreen, Virginia. It offers everything a good road-trip should-stunning views, back roads that are easily drivable, and tiny hamlets with the occasional interesting, funky shop. The drive there is a fun one, if country highways are your thing.
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