Victory Beer Blog

Life in a growing American brewery

New Details Added: Dark Intrigue Release Nov. 23

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 at 12:27pm

It’s time.

Our Storm King Stout spent the summer in bourbon barrels from Jim Beam and Heaven Hill Distilleries, and has finally emerged as Dark Intrigue. (It’s like Clark Kent going into a phone booth and coming out as Superman, only more delicious and less crime-fighty.)

Dark Intrigue will be released here at the Downingtown retail location on Nov. 23, a day we are calling Dark Wednesday. Not only will you be able to purchase the dark and intriguing boozy beverage, but you’ll be part of Victory history. While this is our second release of Dark Intrigue we are also planning it to be our last. Get it now before it goes away forever.

Here’s what you need to know about Dark Wednesday:

• Dark Intrigue will be available by the bottle and by the case from the retail shop at our Downingtown brewery and brewpub.
• It will go on sale when our retail shop opens at 11:30 a.m. You are welcome to begin lining up earlier than that, and we anticipate that Dark Intrigue fans will start arriving around 9 a.m.
• Each person will be limited to one case of Dark Intrigue, no exceptions.
• The cost will be $15 per bottle, $180 per case. (There are 12 bottles per case.)
• We know you’re excited to drink your newly purchased Dark Intrigue, and we’re excited to have you try it, but under no circumstances can you open a bottle of Dark Intrigue in the parking lot. Pennsylvania has very strict open container laws, and drinking beer in our parking lot is illegal. If you open it in the parking lot, it will be confiscated. We don’t want to do that, but we have to follow the law of the land. So please, wait until you get home to open it so we can all avoid any issues.
• Like all beer purchased at our retail shop, it is not permitted to be opened in the restaurant. We welcome and encourage you to stay for lunch after you purchase your Dark Intrigue, but you will not be able to drink the Dark Intrigue that you bought in retail with your lunch. We will have limited quantities of Dark Intrigue available on draft for you to enjoy with your meal. (Dark Intrigue is not available for growler fills.)
Update: All barrels have been reserved. To get on the waiting list for barrels left unclaimed, email barrel@victorybeer.com. In addition to the beer, you will also be able to buy the bourbon barrels where Dark Intrigue was aged. The barrels will cost $40 each, cash only, and you can buy as many barrels as you can fit in your vehicle. You cannot pay for the barrels at the same time you pay for your Dark Intrigue. We will have a separate station for barrel purchases set up outside. If you want to purchase a barrel on Dark Wednesday, please e-mail barrel@victorybeer.com to reserve yours. You will have to pay and pick up the barrel on Dark Wednesday prior to 3:00 p.m. Any reserved barrels left unclaimed after that time will be sold at a later date.

*BONUS* You may win some fun Victory swag while attending the Dark Wednesday release. We will be drawing numbers every 10 minutes between 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to the enthusiasts in line. If your number is called, you’ll be going home with extra Victory goodies!

What’s so special about Dark Intrigue? Brewer Jordan Sunseri tells you:

A little more about the project…

- K.H.

Trick Out Your Treats

Friday, October 28, 2011 at 3:18pm

When I was growing up we always had one neighbor who pulled a wagon with him as he took his children trick-or-treating. As a youngin’ I was too preoccupied with my quest for candy to pay much attention to what was he was lugging. I just assumed he might need to tote some candy when the haul got too heavy. Now, as an adult, I recognize his brilliance. The Radio Flyer was his very own Brew Pub on Wheels.

As the kids were amassing goodies, the adults were enjoying a few treats of their own. Genius!

Today I’m expanding on my old neighbor’s ingenuity by offering suggestions to turn your kids’ treats into adult indulgences. Trick out your treats with these beer pairing suggestions.

Festbier + Peanut Butter Cup

Back in 1990, the good folks at Hershey told us “there’s no wrong way to eat a Reese’s.” We agree with that sentiment entirely! Here’s our suggestion for one right way to eat one: pair it with Festbier. The malt used in our Festbier has a sweetness and roastiness that gives it a peanut character which pairs perfectly with the delectable treat from Reese’s.

Storm King Stout + Tootsie Roll

I remember scoffing at Tootsie Rolls on Halloween as a kid. The little midgees were weak in comparison to the coveted Reese’s mentioned above. But, in my adulthood, I’ve come to appreciate the goodness packed in that little wrapper. Pair the chocolatey taffy treat with a big beer like Storm King Stout and you’ve got a powerful pairing. Like our Russian Imperial Stout, Tootsie’s got a toasted edge to it. There’s more at play here than just sweetness. The burnt chocolatey undertones of the midgee paired with the roasted malt in our Storm King make for a dark and intriguing tempest of flavor.

HopDevil IPA + Candy Corn

Pairing the most widely available Halloween candy with our most popular beer makes perfect sense. Not only can you track down both of these goodies with ease, but the complementary flavors are a no-brainer. The caramel sweetness evident in both the sugary kernels and the devilish ale meld wonderfully when enjoyed together.

Golden Monkey + Almond Joy

Almond Joy’s got nuts, Monkey’s don’t because, sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t! Actually, this pairing has nothing to do with the almonds. It’s the coconut in the candy and the banana notes in the Golden Monkey that make this a joyful duo. Both boast tropical fruit flavors that work well together. (If you aren’t feeling nutty, Mounds is a simple substitute for this pairing suggestion.)

V-Twelve + Sweet Tarts

Pucker up for a brilliant combination of sweet and sour. The fruitiness and sweetness found in our V-Twelve balance perfectly with the aptly named candies.

With these suggestions in mind, I encourage you to load up your wagon, snag some of your kiddos’ candy and Taste Victory!

- K.N.

Devilish Delight in Time for Halloween

Friday, October 21, 2011 at 11:44am

It’s that ghoulish time of year when it becomes perfectly acceptable to stuff your face with candy, dress in crazy costumes and throw wicked parties. There’s no better way to celebrate Halloween than to sneak away to your own Frankensteinian laboratory and mix mysterious concoctions.

Our favorite monster mash? DarkDevil. It’s a 50-50 blend of HopDevil Ale and Storm King Stout.

Time to play mad scientist!

For more monster mutant mashups, check out our video from last year.

- K.N.

Pairing Beer and Music: Storm King Radio Launches Today.

Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 3:40pm

For the full Storm King experience listen to SK Radio with your next Storm King Stout.

Anyone out there remember when Storm King Stout was just a seasonal beer? Released in October, it was welcomed by all when the ‘crisp’ nights’ of autumn turned downright cold and Storm King cast some inner light to challenge the hastening darkness.

Well, you can now enjoy Storm King at any time of the year, as you can your favorite music. But there does seem to be seasons for certain experiences so we’ve bundled our imperial stout up in some of our favorite magically moody music for you to savor.

So get ready to go dark and deep. Don’t worry, there are points of light in this complex mix that echoes the swelling-turbulence-into-comforting-calm that the Storm King brings. The ethereal beauty of Iceland’s Sigur Ros is juxtaposed next to the thick power of The Catherine Wheel. The dense despair of The Cure finds a soulmate in Billie Holiday while London-based deejay Burial’s haunted soundscapes are sparked by the nearly local (Lancaster, PA) folk-inflected wisdom of The Innocence Mission. With the Cocteau Twins and Galaxie 500 also tapped for your pleasure, you should certainly discover the dark intrigue that lies within Storm King, relaxing to this moody mix.

Storm King is our third Pandora channel. You can also enjoy the sounds of Golden Monkey or HopDevil Ale.

Cheers,

Bill & Ron the Brewmasters of Victory

Monster Mutant Mashups?

Thursday, October 14, 2010 at 4:36pm

Victory RELUCTANTLY explores the art of mixing beers.

It’s October and that means two things. Phillies post season baseball and Halloween. While we celebrate the Phightins every day, we thought this year we would throw a little treat into our bag of tricksIt’s no secret that ever since Bill and Ron started producing beer there have been Mad Beer Scientists who mix them together to see what happens. Some German trained brewers may scream in horror at the mere idea of mashing together their pure-bred flavors, but we convinced Victory Brewmaster Bill Covaleski to try these mutant beers on camera for the first time and give his real opinion.

For those mad ‘mixologists’ at home, here is a quick guide to the Victory’s Monster Mashups:

  • Silver Back: 1/2 Golden Monkey and 1/2 Storm King Stout
  • DarkDevil: 1/2 HopDevil and 1/2 Storm King Stout
  • Monkey On The Moon: 1/2 Moonglow and 1/2 Golden Monkey
  • Don King: 1/2 Donnybrook Stout and 1/2 Storm King Stout
  • Mad Monkey: 1/2 Golden Monkey and 1/2 Mad King Weiss
  • Victory Half n’ Half: 1/2 Prima Pils and 1/2 HopDevil

Have you created your own Mutants with Victory beers? Are we missing any from this list?

Thanksgiving Victory

Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 3:35pm

Yesterday we tweeted (yes, it’s officially a verb) the question that’s on everyone’s mind the week before Thanksgiving, “What Victory Beers pair best with Thanksgiving?” You didn’t disappoint with your answers. Here are a couple of our favorites:

‘Storm King Stout is better with Pumpkin Pie than whipped cream!’ – TheWhiteLilKim

‘Variety pack. I give my family members a choice.’ – chriscavallucci

‘I’m bringing a case of Lager to my Thanksgiving feast, fingers crossed that everyone doesn’t drink beer & leaves it all to me!’ – Chroma914

‘Yakima Twilight. Does it go with much on the table? No. Does it matter? Not to me!’ – whatsbilldoing

While we would never contradict someone’s taste we’ve put together a short guide to what we’ve found works at our own Thanksgiving tables. Try bringing a couple new beers to Thanksgiving and make it an event to remember (and trust us, if you bring Golden Monkey it will be).

Golden Monkey: This is Victory’s turkey beer for sure. Turkey is relatively neutral in it’s character and Golden Monkey adds enough spice and sweetness to enhance the flavor but not enough to overwhelm the T-Bird.

Yakima Twilight: Think Candied Yams with carmelized Marshmellow topping. The sweetness of the yams are a beneficial opposition to the boldness and bitterness of Yakima.

Prima Pils: It’s an aperitif perfect for watching the football game with. Goes nicely with shrimp cocktail and the accompanying horseradish and tomato sauces.

HopDevil:
HopDevil always pairs nicely with cheese. Consider a fresh Cheddar in your au gratin potatoes and you’ll have people talking. Sooo good.

Lager: If you’re going to have only one Victory Beer this Thanksgiving your best bet would be Victory Lager. It’s the jack of all trades that’s just flexible enough to go with everything, but not assertive enough to clash with anything.

Storm King: If brownies are on the dessert menu you would be doing a disservice to your guests by serving anything other than Storm King. It’s rich and sweet characters make it a natural partner for anything chocolate. The jury is still out on wether or not it works with pumpkin pie, but we’d love to hear what you think.