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Victory Beer Blog
Life in a growing American brewery
Bill and Ron Talk Headwaters Pale Ale
After following along with us during our Headwaters Pale Ale revitalization efforts by reading the Behind the Scenes: Watch Headwaters Flow blog series, you know all about what it takes to brew this great beer. But would you like to know where the idea for Headwaters originated? Bill and Ron tell you:
And the Victory goes to…
The submissions for our first-ever Inspired by Victory contest made us laugh, cry (the good kind), scratch our heads and then applaud our awesome fans for their creativity.
The panel of judges convened last week for a viewing party and a vote. We did a bit of bantering, but ultimately the decision was unanimous. And the winner is…
Choose Your Brew!
By incorporating four of our beer brands into one video, the Choose Your Brew crew immediately caught the attention of everyone on the judging panel. We loved the creative idea, the host’s ridiculous clip-on moustache and the somewhat inappropriate double entendres from Mr. Golden Monkey. But what really had us rolling was Mr. Prima Pils’ interesting German accent. It truly was inspired.
Honorable mention (and a bunch of Victory goodies) goes to:
- Victory in Space by Victory Dog for the overwhelming number of comments it inspired. We loved the music video concept and the great editing work.
- Victory on a Bad Day for making it a good day for us. We were certainly sucked in to the song and the dizzying effects.
- Victor Victorson for making Headwaters Pale Ale part of his fitness regime. Also, kudos for keeping in touch with grandma.
We ask all participants in the contest to please send an email to inspired@victorybeer.com with your name, your video name, mailing address and t-shirt size so that we can send you your winnings.
Thanks to the success of this contest we are thrilled to announce that we will be continuing the Inspired by Victory contest series. Check back in a week to see what our next challenge will be and what you could win by participating.
To watch all of the amazing submissions, visit our contest page.
Harvest Fun with Fresh Hops
Last week a truck arrived at Victory Brewing Company packed full of delicious fresh hops. This delivery was special, because unlike our normal whole-flower hops, which are dried, these were fresh, only a few hours off the vines at Pederson Farm in Seneca Castle, New York. The flowers were plump and a vivid green. (Seeing these beauties made me wish I could go back to my wedding day and opt for a hop bouquet instead of hydrangeas.)
While I admired the exquisite flowers, the delicious aroma took over my senses. I’ve come to recognize the smell of hops for its intriguing, bitter quality. But, this fresh-hop aroma was another delectable scent. The sharp bite was replaced by a slight syrupy freshness.
Both hoppy fragrances make me equally thirsty, but the fresh scent made my mouth water with anticipation to sample the wet-hopped beers. After all, it’s a once-a-year flavor opportunity.
Check out how plump the fresh hop (back right) is in comparison to the dried hop (front left).
Brewing with freshly harvested hops is only possible during hop harvest, which happens just once per year. And the flavor-profile is one that can’t be compared to any other Victory beer. By using whole-flower hops in all of our beers, we are proud to offer a range of unique and flavorful brews. However, this time of year we get to break our own mold as the fresh hops have even more essential oils in tact. The result is a flavor that can’t be described. Only enjoyed.
In order to take advantage of the hops and the oils within, Victory brewers worked through the night and into the following day to brew our extra-special Harvest Ale and Harvest Pils. It’s a stressful process and a tricky science, but the end result is worth the demanding brew schedule.
The following video tells the story of Harvest Ale and Harvest Pils and gives you a glimpse of the sweltering wet-hopping process.
Both Harvest Ale and Harvest Pils are draft-only brands. To get a taste of these fresh-hopped brews, visit the Victory Brewpub. Harvest Ale will be available at the end of September and Harvest Pils will be ready for consumption the first week in October. Cheers!
- K.N.
Have you tasted the zeal of craft beer? Introducing Yakima Glory
At the risk of sounding like a motivational speaker or a guidance counselor, I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone that it always pays to challenge yourself. Today’s illustration of this being Yakima Glory.
Let me state, for the record, that Yakima Twilight, as the Glory was named last year when it was released, has been our most popular seasonal release to date in that it sold twice the volume we expected in its inaugural season. That is rewarding to all of us at Victory. But most rewarding has been the journey and accomplishment of the underlying challenge behind this delicious, dark ale.
We jumped into the uber-hoppy ale waters with the release of Hop Wallop in 2003; Ron and I were thrilled with the ale as a vivid expression of fresh, whole flower, American-grown hops. It was exactly as we wanted it to be, floral, assertive and refreshingly lean in its malt profile. Content with Hop Wallop, we looked forward to each winter and the release of this celebration of Mother Nature’s bounty of hops.
But dark thoughts began to stir in our minds, or more accurately, thoughts of dark malts. Since the development we have also had some tantalizing success with hoppy beers where the hops have had to share the limelight with dark malts. Brews like our Ten Year Alt and one-off Schwarz Pils (soon to come ’round again…) intrigued us to venture into a deep but bright land where dense, dark malt flavors and brassy-bright hops might harmonize. With effort indeed, we found such a place in Yakima Glory.
With my case of Yakima Glory substantially lighter than when it was opened last Thursday night, I am here to tell you that this is also a rewarding beer for the drinker of it. Floral hops battle mightily with the roasted malts for initial attention and the two tussle right down the gullet, only to be resolved in blissful harmony when your senses clear. It is deceptively dry in its impression, goading you in to maybe a bit more volume than you normally might indulge in such a strong ale.
So reward yourself with some tasty Yakima Glory even if your search for this fast-selling brew is challenging.
Cheers,
Bill
Note: Yakima Glory is available in for wide release in all 30 states that carry Victory beer. The option to offer Yakima Glory, or any Victory brand, is up to the individual retailer (bar, grocery store, bottle shop, liquor store, etc.) If you’d like to insure that Yakima Glory makes it to your area call your local retailer and wholesaler (click here to find the wholesaler in your state).
Victory’s First-Ever Commercial
Well, it had to happen someday . . . see the first Victory Brewing Company commercial now! Using only friends, family and brewery employees we put together what will go down in history as the first ever Victory Commercial.
Why? Well, we just recently created what quite possibly could be the coolest ‘Adult Ice Cream Truck’ in history and we couldn’t help but have some fun celebrating its launch. No, it’s not an ice cream truck run by scantily clad vixens, its our new Brewpub On Wheels ( B.P.O.W.) that carries beer for a thousand people and brings Victory beer and BBQ to the front lines of the battle against tastelessness and thirst. Can’t bring your organization’s big event or your private party to Victory Brewery? Then we’ll bring it to you!
Learn More About Victory’s New Brewpub On Wheels
Like the Brewery itself, this commercial would never have happened if it weren’t for the hard core Victory Fans and Staff that make up the Victory family. In no certain order we’d like to thank those who made this fun little project possible.
Victory Truck Drivers: Eric MacPherson (Victory Chef) and Kevin Lesch (Victory Server)
Man sleeping on couch: Amish Rob (Victory Regular)
Lady w/ Baby: Betsy Benner (Victory HR Director)
Man w/ Suitcase: Bill Covaleski (Victory Co-founder and President)
Man at Mailbox: Dave Drinkwater (Friend)
Voice Over: Doug Russell (Victory Forklift Operator)
Extras: RJ Saunders (Friend) Robyn Saunders (Friend) Chantz Beiler (Friend) David Speers (Victory Digital Media Coordinator) Troy Jackson (Victory Line Cook) Rich Ruch (Victory Regular) Matt Krueger (Victory Brewpub General Manager)
Directed by Daniel Speers (Friend)
Music by Tom Krueger (Friend)
Bring Your Brewpub To Work Drawing
If a commercial wasn’t enough we held a special drawing where anyone could win a chance to bring the new B.P.O.W. to work to share with 300 hundred of their coworkers. That’s right, we’ll just roll up and start handing out beer and BBQ! Pretty cool, uh?
We just picked the winners today so keep an eye out on our Facebook, Twitter and blog for more info on the winners next week!
A Nervous Brewer on Wine Library TV?
Victory Co-Founder prepares before his appearance on Wine Library TV with Gary Vaynerchuck.
I’ve watched Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library TV off and on for some time now, in an attempt to build my wine knowledge and maybe score some new flavor discoveries at a discount. I have to admit, the education is not going all that well as my scattered brain is piling wine detail upon detail, losing the proverbial forest for the trees.
But I keep coming back to the “Thundershow” for the show of it. Chock full of passion and wide-eyed exuberance, Gary ‘Vee’ literally tackles wine each day in an effort to wrestle it and it’s mysteries to the ground, for all to enjoy and learn from. His energy and enthusiasm is genuine and bordering on maniacal.
With this in mind, I sat down in his studio/office in New Jersey on Monday, to expose three of our beers to the man that is the online king of wine. Me, nervous?
As you’ll glimpse from the show, Gary represents a unique personality that can focus passion into an intelligent endeavor. A product that folks want to consume. I am not talking about consuming wine. Sure, that is one of the results of his teaching. But his real product is education. And he dishes this valuable stuff out for free.
What young man would take time each day to self produce an educational show that broadcasts free of charge?
The answer is a young man that recognizes opportunity. I realized that the beautiful multi-story wine, beer and spirits emporium that Gary oversees there in Springfield, New Jersey is pretty unique in it’s attention to detail, inventory and merchandising. Momentarily, I had difficulty envisioning the family beer and spirits shop that Gary tells me he grew this out of over the last decade. But, looking at and listening to Gary in person, it is abundantly clear that an entrepreneurial fire burns brightly in him, turning many opportunities that other souls would simply overlook, into chances to excel and set new expectations for the audience he serves. Offering a public service, I truly hope that Gary is getting rich doing this.
Oops, there I go, cheering for capitalism. Seriously, this guy should be cheered on as he’s taking risks and harming no one.
Cheers,
Bill Covaleski
Episode 1:
Episode 2:
How Victory, Dogfish Head, Yards, Flying Fish, and Iron Hill Breweries ignored common sense and changed Craft Beer.
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.
Introducing Saison du BUFF: Stone Dogfish Head and Victory Collaboration
If you haven’t heard, the collaboration of epic proportions between Victory, Dogfish Head and Stone Breweries has finally been unleashed on the un-expecting world . . . and we apologize for nothing. Saison du BUFF was imagined many moons ago when Greg Koch, Sam Calgione and Bill Covaleski attempted to incite a little controversy in an ultimately doomed media stunt in the liquor aisle of a grocery store in an attempt to bring attention to Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor. Though they didn’t score the media storm they had envisioned they did manage to plant the seeds for something with a little more taste . . . for all of us. The following is a sneak peak at the special note Bill Covaleski printed on the back of the bottle for his version of Saison du BUFF:
BUFF is how we think, how we act, and who we are . . . Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor! Herbs in our Brew? Impossible where I trained in Germany! But America has granted our breweries the amazing opportunity to create inspired ales an we seized that opportunity with gusto in making this collaborative Ale. Knowing the season this was to be enjoyed, we went for refreshment. Being BUFF we add the challenge of unique flavor and landed in a style that offers ample latitude for both goals; Saison. This decision made our task all the more challenging to bring something new to the proverbial table. In discussion we all remarked how much we liked sage and the idea of herbs cascaded out of the conversation. Picking Rosemary, milling in wheat malt and and dosing the herbs, we three have had more than people are used to with clothing still on. Leave yours and your preconceived notion on Ale behind and be BUFF with us!
Bill
Beer isn’t just for your Cheerios anymore! Introducing Beer for Brunch.
Ahhhhh, beer and cheerios. A time honored tradition among scholastic co-eds. Don’t you just miss Sunday mornings in college? Yeah, neither do we . . . but maybe it’s time to start asking ourselves if beer really does have a legitimate place at the traditionally unapproachable “A.M. table”, frat houses aside. Perhaps breakfast is a bridge too far, for now, but brunch is definitely ripe for craft brewers to step up and make their mark on the growing yet established dining trend in cities across the US. Make sense? We thought so too. We only wish we were smart enough to see the opportunity first.
It took our vastly superior fans to help us realize that 1) the potential for beer during brunch and 2) a way for Victory to specifically address the market. Enter Tommy Up and PYT.
Our good friend Tommy Up down at PYT in Philly sells a lot of Golden Monkey at his young but influential bar. Tommy, an accomplished party promoter in Philly, is no stranger to innovation. He’s been pushing the envelope from the very day PYT opened it’s doors. Whether it’s embracing social media, installing unique decor (check out thse background images), rotating a constant stream of jaw dropping burger recipes (try the Buffalo Springfield Burger: Fresh ground Buffalo, Dill Havarti, Avocado, Pepper Aol) or introducing Philly to ‘Adult Milkshakes’ he’s always one step ahead of the masses. Knowing all this you would think that we would expect the unexpected from Tommy but when he showed us his new brunch special even we weren’t prepared.
Meet the Monkey Julius (see video above). It’s a Golden Monkey based libation custom made for warm summer brunches. 1 Part Orange Juice, 3 parts Golden Monkey and a splash of sparkly wine. Simple, refreshing and relatively cheap. Here’s where a beer based drink is genius for brunch: Restaurants and bars have to move product to make money but with the average Mimosa or Bloody Mary in Philly coming in at around $8 in this penny pinching economy the average customer can’t afford more than one (if that). Monkey Julius offers owners and managers an alcoholic brunch drink that’s as equally tasty and strong at a much better price point.
Special thanks to Tommy and all our friends at PYT for opening our eyes to the untapped market of brunch. It’s feedback and collaborations like this with our fans and family that keep us on the forefront of what’s possible. That being said, does anyone else have Victory mixed drink they’ve tried or created? Who knows, maybe someone in the Interwebs finally has the secret to introducing Victory to the breakfast table.