Devils Backbone Brewing Company is excited to introduce its new community engagement and environmental sustainability program, the Heartland Initiative. The first major project of 2017 will be The Heartland Series, an exclusive line of beers to be brewed at Basecamp Brewpub & Meadows that will benefit a different non-profit each quarter. Each beneficiary will be chosen by the Devils Backbone family and serve communities across the Virginia Heartland.
The Heartland Series beers will be available on tap at the Outpost Tap Room, and a portion of sales will be donated to the chosen non-profit. This inaugural Heartland Series brew will benefit the Wildland Firefighter Foundation, and will be a smoked black IPA called One Foot in the Black. This name references a safety slogan for wildland firefighters – while fighting fire one of the safest places you can be is an already burned area, so they should always know where the “black” is.
This beer and its beneficiary were proposed by Devils Backbone brewer Erik Filep, who is a wildland firefighter himself. Regional firefighters and the Wildland Firefighter Foundation’s grief counselor will all be on site at the Basecamp Brewpub to brew the beer with Erik, and media is invited to experience the brewing process.