Victory Beer Blog

Life in a growing American brewery

Real City

Friday, September 30, 2011 at 1:52pm

By Bill Covaleski

Back in the early ’90s when I was busily working as a grunt brewer, I longed to play the incredibly popular game SimCity. I loved the idea of being responsible for building communities based on my priorities and decisions. But, whether it’s because I’m the product of post-Depression coal-country Poles, Germans and Lithuanians (masters of frugality) or because I’m an obsessed craft brewer, I never found the time or money to invest in the game.

Now, nearly 30 years later, as I prepare myself for the second annual Downingtown FallFest, I realize that I’ve been participating in a real-life version of the game that once eluded me. Beginning in 1994 when Ron and I wrote our business plan, we’ve been making our own decisions and prioritizing our corporate and community goals. In doing so, we’ve aligned ourselves with like-minded individuals in order to harness their positive energy as we spend some serious bucks to thrust momentum behind our shared ideals. I’ve been thrilled to watch as Downingtown has been transformed with these energies and resources.

This Sunday, I am excited to see our vibrant community come together to celebrate the season. Working with a number of Downingtown residents and Victory employees, we have prepared for an expected 3,000 attendees join in our street festival.

Many of the FallFest organizers work with me as part of the board of the Downingtown Main Street Association (DSMA), a newly formed group affecting positive civic change in our borough. The original DMSA worked tirelessly for 12 years, but suspended from exhaustion in 2005. Before dissolving, however, it was the advice of a few of the original DSMA members that encouraged me and Ron to consider Downingtown as a home for our brewery and restaurant.

As I anticipate the festivities of this coming Sunday, I sit back and appreciate the myriad of players who have contributed to the growth of Downingtown and of FallFest and marvel that the best game I get to play is the game of life.

Come on out to Downingtown FallFest on Sunday and enjoy some life —  yours and others.

 

Fifteen Years Of Character(s)

Monday, February 21, 2011 at 9:27pm

Flame-throwing grills, ex-brewers claiming the glory, a dismissive landlord and ‘touchy’ pals who can barely control themselves… who knew that Victory could survive such a tumultuous first fifteen years!? But outside of the glorious chaos that typifies new businesses of all types, there is a groundswell of love and respect voiced by the ‘Characters’ that have lent their voice to telling the story of Victory’s first fifteen years of operation.

See and hear it here, in Fifteen Years Of Character(s), the video we commissioned to celebrate our recent anniversary on February 15.

Recognizing that we simply make beer, and that it is your patrons and supporters who make a business a success, we chose to let a few of those other folks shed light on some of the untold stories of Victory.

Enjoy!

Bill & Ron, the Brewmasters of Victory



Beer Inspired Baking

Friday, February 4, 2011 at 7:40pm

Blueprints are common at Victory…but for a cake!

Chef Lynn Tilyou of Victory Brewing Company suffers from insomnia. This paired with her past career helping her mother as a cake decorator, and our 15 year anniversary on the horizon, has given the midnight creative spark, that led to this bold undertaking. The 15th Anniversary cake is a live motion replica of the brewing process, and will include many of the steps, from brewing to pouring beer into a pitcher. Don’t miss this sweet concoction and creative madness that abounds here in our brewery restaurant on February 15th when we’ll celebrate ’15 Years of Character’. We’ll kick things off at 5pm with the first pour of our new brand Headwaters Pale Ale. Click here for event details and to read more about the anniversary celebration.

Victory Turns 15!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011 at 6:15pm

Emerging from true obscurity in a truly obscure location, we’ve had 15 years (almost) to demonstrate our character here at Victory. Early on we debuted the brazen beast known as HopDevil. This menacingly delicious little ruffian assaulted folks’ sensibilities with a heady, citrusy hop bite tempered with a comforting resolution of rich, German malts and served notice that east coast IPAs had arrived with style. Against the pleas of our few wholesalers in 1997, who correctly recognized that pilsners were misunderstood and generally lame at the time in the US, we stubbornly rolled a new era pils, Prima, and have gained fans and acclaim steadily since with this appealing, crisp quencher. At 10 years we introduced a strong altbier, bright with brassy, German hops that was a deliciously round peg that defied any convenient square hole with our Ten Years Alt.

But innovation needs an appreciative audience and therefore none of these beers could have achieved their destiny, to be loved, if it were not for the characters consuming these exciting brews. We are talking about you. You are one of our characters, a player in this story of craft brewing risk and reward.

So, mindful that our family includes you as much as the characters we’ve developed in HopDevil, Golden Monkey, St. Victorious, etc. we look to celebrate our ’15 Years Of Character’ with all of those who have contributed greatly to the success of Victory.

Starting on February 15, our fifteenth anniversary, we’ll kick off a year of events nationwide, that celebrate our past 15 years together. Join us at Victory on Feb. 15 to witness the first screening of ‘Fifteen Years Of Character(s)’ our video homage to the fans of Victory. Hear the Victory stories of fans and friends like Greg Koch of Stone Brewing and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in this video. That night we’ll pepper our hot, new February menu with some favorite menu items from the past 15 years of Victory, demonstrating the deliciously creative ways that our staff has captured your imagination.

You’ll find Brewmasters Bill & Ron here that evening as well, signing commemorative posters and celebrating your contribution to Victory’s success. Regarding our 15th year, Ron commented, “Nice, six more years before I can enjoy a Victory beer!” To which, Bill added, “Excellent, we can act like we’re 15 for a solid year now!

Let Your Freak Flags Fly

Friday, January 14, 2011 at 7:55pm

The restored 1996 HopDevil shirt returns Jan. 15 for a limited time.

This one’s for Jerry. And everyone like myself and Jerry who already has one of these shirts. But it was Jerry who first brought the idea up, so like our Jerk Grinder that he also loves so much, we must see this shirt live on.

My art files say that this design was created May 31, 1996, when HopDevil was an infant, pretty much unknown to the world. The fact that we could dress him up in purple, of all colors, splashed with neon green, magenta and black definitely states that this beer was something unique and special. So wonderful and special, that grown men were willing to part with our hard-earned money to walk around in a purple, magenta and neon green shirt bearing the visage of the ale we loved.

Then, years after the purchase and countless beer festivals and outdoor chores, we suffer the scorn of our wives who thought that such a faded, threadbare relic should have been in the trash long ago. No, we clung to our purple HopDevil shirt like the adult version of a baby blanket that somehow embodied our transition from partying, craft beer newbie to seasoned father dealing with teenagers in our households.

So here he is again, in all of his purple glory, to support his old and tired brother in the closet.

Gentlemen, let your freak flags fly!

This HopDevil throwback shirt is the second in our series of 15 Fashionable Finds in celebration of our 15th Anniversary. This and all anniversary shirts will be available for sale on the 15th of each month. You can buy in our retail store or from our online store. But hurry, because there are only a limited quantity available.



It’s Better to Give than to Receive

Wednesday, December 22, 2010 at 8:26pm

 

Victory receives Lifetime Membership award from PASAThe saying goes that it is “better to give than to receive” and so in this time of gift giving, we at Victory find ourselves extremely grateful in that we’ve experienced quite a year of both giving and receiving.

On the giving side, we are proud to list many worthy charities who have received our support with their fundraising objectives this year including the Chester County SPCA, Brandywine River Museum, Brandywine Valley Association, Chadds Ford Historical Society, The Brandywine Conservancy, Stroud Water Research Center, PA Academy of Fine Arts, Temple University’s Tyler School of Art and Neighborhood Bike Works among many more.

We’ve had fun with the dynamic support of groups who we have created events for like the Downingtown Fire Departments (Downingtown FallFest), Ryan McCall Foundation (Run for Victory), and Lord’s Pantry & Chester County Food Bank (Cans For A Pint). We’ve upheld the ‘charity begins at home’ credo by supporting causes close to some of our individual employees that impact a much larger audience with Drink to Victory for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and David’s Drive 831.For all of these efforts we have been richly rewarded on many levels. For instance, we received a Lifetime Membership award from Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), primarily for our engagement with them in creating and executing Bike Fresh Bike Local, our late summer bike ride through Chester County. That event has become their Southeast chapter’s largest fundraiser in three short years! In November, our 7,000 foodservice peers of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association honored our company with its Wilmer S. Lapp Keystone Award. The award recognizes significant and noteworthy contributions to the industry and community on behalf of the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association at the chapter and statewide levels.

And here in December we feel a proud, parental glow as our Prima Pils and Yakima Glory are currently basking in the media limelight. Prima has been cited by Wine Enthusiast magazine as one of the Top 25 Beers of 2010 and newcomer Yakima Glory has rung the bell of Paste Magazine’s editorial staff to register in their Top 25 New Beers of 2010. This is spectacular recognition of which we are very proud!

So as we churn out inspired ‘gifts’ to our loyal audience who revel in true beer flavor, we are rewarded with the opportunity, the latitude, to bring our beery visions to fruition. Within the past year we have unveiled Victory Village, Saison du BUFF and Dark Intrigue for your enjoyment and ours! We like such gifts that ‘keep on giving’ so expect us to continue giving in the many ways we do, strongly into 2011, our fifteenth anniversary year!

Feast Your Eyes on the 1st of 15

Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at 4:26pm

 1st of 15 Limited Tshirts | Savor Your Victory

Earlier this month we announced that to celebrate our 15th Anniversary in February we’d be releasing 15 Victorious fashionable finds. Just released is the first of 15 tshirts that will debut (typically) the 15th of each month. Savor the holidays in this limited edition t-shirt available in mens and womens sizes. Available in Victory Retail and online this t-shirt is just $10 so get yours today!


How Victory, Dogfish Head, Yards, Flying Fish, and Iron Hill Breweries ignored common sense and changed Craft Beer.

Friday, July 16, 2010 at 1:45pm

Bill Covaleski of Victory Brewing, Sam Calgione of Dogfish Head, Gene Muller of Flying Fish, Tom Kehoe of Yards, Mark Edelson of Iron Hill and Greg Koch of Stone brewing reminisce about the early days of Craft Brewing in the mid 90′s when there was no market, no distribution and no money. Thank god we were smart enough to get this historical reunion on tape! Like their beers they’ll make you laugh, they’ll make you cry, but rest-assured, you’ll always come back for more.

If you’re a fan of craft beer, brewing or just good old fashioned American entrepreneurism then you’ll want to save this in the archives and share it with all the other beer lovers you know.

Highlight: Keep an ear open for Sam’s only HR policy for the first decade of Dogfish Head’s existence (6:00).

Bonus:

Don’t miss the Class of ’96′s ‘If I we’re not a brewer’ sketch.

Older Bud No Weiser – A 1996 Craft Brewer’s Reunion

Thursday, June 3, 2010 at 12:45am

1996 was a seminal year in craft brewing. It nailed the high water mark for craft brewery openings and that class of 1996 included such luminaries as DogFish Head Craft Brewery, Stone Brewing and Victory Brewing. Locally, you can add Flying Fish Brewing, Yards Brewing, and brewpub powerhouse Iron Hill Brewery to that class of ’96. And if you put all six of these breweries and their founders in a room, what do you get?

         Don’t miss thie historic get together. Buy tickets today!

Expect side splitting stories of perseverance and perversion as Sam Calagione (DogFish Head), Bill Covaleski (Victory), Gene Muller (Flying Fish), Tom Kehoe (Yards) are ‘moderated’ by Greg Koch (Stone) while they sit down, sip, and tell tales as part of “Older Bud No Weiser” on June 10, 2010. Hosted by World Café Live for 200 lucky guests, this two hour trip down brewery lane will feature a d.i.y. video that the lads put together featuring themselves as failed brewers, washed up in 2010… Of course their failure never happened and the great beer continues to flow because you, the thirsty craft beer fan, supported their foamy efforts. Thank you. Thank yourself! If you are not up for dropping another well-spent $25 bucks to get with these guys and five of their beers, you can glimpse the video trailer above.

Older, Bud No Weiser, indeed.

My Pot of Gold Was a Pint of Black…

Thursday, March 18, 2010 at 2:24pm

It was one of those days that the new tasks outnumbered the ones checked off my to-do list. Not good. But the sun was shining and by 4:17 the least bashful person in our office at that moment (Betsy our HR Administrator, who’da thought?!) incited the quiet riot that lead to our bar to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Now the gold of Prima Pils sometimes outweighs the blood in my body, I think, but I submitted to the moment and ordered a Donnybrook Stout . It was a great decision as Donnybrook’s cool, dry calm slid down my throat effortlessly, just like scene I was witnessing all around me. As if in some sort of ritual, all of us had more green on than we’d normally wear. A cynic might label the scene ‘lame,’ or at least ‘expected,’ but I felt it was pretty natural enjoyment. Enjoyment of a day, a moment and a beer style. All of these green-clad folk smiling, talking and sipping the same black nectar.

Still seeking some counterpoint to this idyllic scene, I spied Pat, happy with her pint of HopDevil. She told me how HopDevil became the first beer she ever loved. She recounted the awful beers of her youth with Schmidt’s sharp in her mental crosshairs. I bemoaned the fact that my Dad sipped Carling Black Label at family events and Pat perked up, “Oh, Uncle Charlie’s beer!”

We talked further, in mystified musing, of the beloved brother-in-law that will happily enjoy a Victory Lager, only to follow it up with a dozen cans of Coors Light. Why such brand loyalty where there is no true, discernible character? We all have that Uncle Charlie, content in consistency while we craft beer lovers are restless, and just occasionally, disappointed.

But I, too, had adopted the herd mentality that day. Green shirt and black stout, like a uniform. This gave me perspective, and comfort, as I knew that tomorrow evening I’d naturally approach my thirst differently, as I normally do. With no preconceived notions.

Ah, the joys of being awash in the diversity of craft beer! I tell my wife that I have many mistresses, all between 12 and 22 ounces. That pot of cool gold I chased at the end of my workday had turned to black… and I ended up blissfully happy to have had that option and the opportunity to reflect on choices.

Cheers,

Bill Covaleski

Co-Founder and Brewer

« Older Entries