Victory Brewing Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 1996 in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA |
| Founder | Ron Barchet, Bill Covaleski |
| Headquarters | Downingtown , United States |
Area served | 34 US states; international distribution in nine countries |
Key people | Bill Covaleski (Brewmaster) |
| Products | Craft beer (flagship beers include HopDevil, Prima Pils, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey, DirtWolf, Storm King), root beer |
| Parent | Artisanal Brewing Ventures (since 2016) |
| Website | www |
Victory Brewing Company (commonly known as Victory) was established in 1996 in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, USA. Its flagship beers—HopDevil, Prima Pils, Headwaters Pale Ale, Golden Monkey, DirtWolf, and Storm King—are available throughout 34 states and distributed internationally in nine countries. Victory Brewing’s headquarters are located at 420 Acorn Lane, Downingtown, Pennsylvania 19335.
History
Entrepreneurs Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski launched Victory Brewing in a former Pepperidge Farm bakery. The company began as a modest brewery-restaurant but has since grown significantly. The initial lineup included Victory Festbier, Brandywine Valley Lager (now known as Victory Lager), and HopDevil Ale. While the malt-forward Festbier was originally anticipated to be the top seller, market preferences quickly shifted toward the hoppier HopDevil Ale. On February 16, 2016, Victory Brewing joined forces with Southern Tier Brewing Company under the Artisanal Brewing Ventures umbrella, strengthening its market influence.
Brewery
Victory utilizes a 50 US barrel automated energy recovery system developed by Rolec in OberBayern, Germany. The brewery blends cutting-edge technology with time-honored brewing techniques such as decoction mashing for crafting German-style lagers and incorporates whole hops to preserve beer quality.
In 2008, the brewpub underwent renovations to highlight smoked barbecue fare and added a growler filling station capable of dispensing any of 20 draft selections. This system includes a CO2 purging process that prolongs freshness. Each growler holds 68 US ounces. Furthermore, Victory produces its own root beer available exclusively on-site.
Products
Victory Brewing Company’s portfolio includes more than 20 beer varieties:
Year-Round
- Prima Pils: A German-style Pilsner brewed with European hops and German malt at 5.3% ABV.
- HopDevil: An India Pale Ale featuring American hops with pine and citrus aromas (6.7% ABV).
- Headwaters Pale Ale: An American Pale Ale combining American hops and German malt (5.2% ABV).
- Golden Monkey: Belgian Tripel characterized by Belgian yeast with banana and clove notes (9.5% ABV).
- Victory Helles Lager: A German-style Helles utilizing German hops, malts, and yeast (4.8% ABV).
- DirtWolf Double IPA: A Double IPA brewed with Mosaic, Citra, Chinook, and Simcoe hops (8.7% ABV).
- Sour Monkey: A tart Brett Tripel variation of Golden Monkey (9.5% ABV).
Seasonal / Limited Release
- Cage Radler: A lager blended with sparkling lemon soda (3.0% ABV), available during summer.
- Summer Love Ale: Golden Ale brewed with lemon and pine flavors (5.2% ABV), summer seasonal.
- Festbier: Märzen/Oktoberfest style beer crafted with German hops and malts (5.6% ABV), fall seasonal.
- Moonglow Weizenbock: Bavarian Weizenbock featuring German hops and clove notes (8.7% ABV), fall seasonal.
- Winter Cheer: Wheat Ale brewed from German wheat, barley malts, oats, and spices (6.7% ABV), winter seasonal.
- Hop Ranch: Imperial IPA dry-hopped with six hop varieties (9.0% ABV), winter seasonal.
- Kirsch Gose: Cherry Gose infused with tart cherries and wheats (4.7% ABV), spring seasonal.
Blackboard Series
- Blackboard Agave IPA: IPA showcasing grapefruit undertones (7.0% ABV).
- Blackboard Berliner Weisse: Berliner Weisse enhanced with elderflower infusion (5.2% ABV).
- Blackboard Cream Ale: Cream Ale featuring cold brew coffee notes (6.5% ABV).
Anniversary Releases
- Anniversary 20: Experimental IPA highlighting citrus and pine flavors (5.5% ABV).
- 21st Birthday IPA: IPA brewed using Chinook, Centennial, and Mosaic hops (6.1% ABV).
Tank to Table Series This series introduces new recipes bi-monthly at brewpub locations, focusing on innovative ingredients and brewing methods.
22 USoz Bottles Only
- Old Horizontal: American Barleywine brewed with German malts and American hops at 11% ABV.
- Helios Ale: Saison fermented with Brettanomyces yeast strains (7.5% ABV).
- Hoppy Quad: Belgian-style Quad hopped with Chinook, Mosaic, Cascade, and Citra hops (13% ABV).
- Java Cask: Coffee Bourbon Stout aged in bourbon barrels with coffee and dark chocolate flavors (14.3% ABV).
- Jubilee: Biere Brut brewed using German Blanc hops and matured in sparkling wine barrels (12.0% ABV).
- Selene Saison: Dark Saison employing unique dark yeast strains (7.5% ABV).
- Sour Monkey Remix: Sour Monkey aged in Chardonnay barrels creating an American Wild Ale variant (9.5% ABV).
- Tart Ten: Sour Dubbel Ale crafted from six malt varieties (10.0% ABV).
- V Twelve: Belgian Strong Ale featuring apricot, pear, and spice characteristics (12.0% ABV).
Catering
Victory Brewing provides comprehensive catering and event coordination services, highlighted by a mobile "brewpub on wheels" that can accommodate up to 1,000 attendees with both food and beverages. This mobile setup contains 16 kegs, delivering around 2,500 servings of chilled beer.
Awards
- Sustainable Agriculture Business Leadership Award – 2014
- Good Food Awards, Beer Category – 2011
- Philly Beer Scene Awards
| Year | Award | Recipient |
|---|---|---|
| 2010–2014 | Brewery of the Year | Victory Brewing Company |
| 2013 | Brewmaster of the Year | Bill Covaleski |
| 2010, 2011 | Best Pilsner | Prima Pils |
| 2010 | Best Porter | Baltic Thunder |
| 2011 | Best Belgian Style Beer | Golden Monkey |
| 2011–2013 | Best Stout | Storm King |
| 2011 | Best Fruit / Spice Beer (shared) | Saison du BUFF |
| 2012, 2014 | Best Lager | Prima Pils |
| 2014 | Best Imperial Pale Ale | DirtWolf |
- Golden Icon Awards by Travolta Family Entertainment
| Year | Award Title | Category | Beer Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–2007 | Golden Icon Award | Best Specialty Beer | Victory Golden Monkey |
- United States Beer Tasting Championship
| Year(s) | Award Received | Beers Recognized |
|---|---|---|
| Various years (2000–2013) | Grand Champion and Best of Mid-Atlantic/Southeast region | Prima Pils, Headwaters Pale Ale, HopDevil IPA, Festbier, Victory Lager, Storm King, V-Twelve, Whirlwind Wit, St. Boisterous, Yakima Glory |
- Gold Medal – Festbier, GABF 2007
- Gold Medal – Golden Monkey, GABF 2014
- Silver Medal – Prima Pils, GABF 2007
External links
- Victory Brewing Company - Official website
- Victory Brewing Blog - Company blog
- Map: