My grandfather always said that Eastern Pennsylvania was good for two things: pretzels and beer. His reasoning was that the area’s exceptional water made those two items taste better than anywhere else in the country. Given the glut of snack food providers (York County, Pennsylvania, just west of Philadelphia, considers itself the snack food capital of the world) and breweries in the area, he was likely not too far from the truth. One of those breweries, Victory Brewing Company, is nestled in the Borough of Downingtown, Pennsylvania about 35 miles west of Philadelphia. Brewery owners Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski were childhood friends, who eventually spurned the corporate world for the beer world. After studying in Germany and taking apprenticeships in Baltimore and Virginia, the two opened up Victory in 1996. 17 years later, the brewery has grown to be one of the top 30 largest craft breweries in the country (by production), is distributed to 26 states and Asia, and has won a number of prestigious awards for their beer. However “international” their reputation, Bill, Ron, and Victory remain focused on their small community in Pennsylvania, and protecting the environment, including the water that makes their beer so great.
Like many breweries that have been featured in this column, Victory employs a holistic approach to environmental protection, with energy conservation remaining one of the top priorities. Victory recently installed 345 photovoltaic (solar) panels, which generate approximately 82,000kWh of electricity each year, and even installed a monitor in its brewpub so patrons can view energy generation data while they eat. Soon, Victory plans on opening a new brewery in Parkesburg, PA, about 15 miles from its current location. Communicating via email, Victory’s Communications Manager Melissa Thomas stated that the brewery’s green-energy efforts at the new site are even more focused on energy reduction and conservation. As a manufacturing facility, Victory understands that its energy needs are high, and, as such, they’ve performed their due diligence and are planning on installing “top-of-line, energy saving equipment and processes” to help reduce usage and costs over time. Also, Victory expects to implement a few additional sustainability initiatives, including the ability to process and treat its own waste water.
In 2011, for its 15th anniversary, Victory focused its efforts externally, and established its Headwaters Grant, a program that donates a portion of sales from its Headwaters Pale Ale towards educational programs that focus on Eastern Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Watershed, a local creek. Recent recipients of the grant include local advocacy groups focused on education and protection of the creek such as the Guardians of the Brandywine and the Brandywine Conservancy. Currently, Victory is exploring opportunities to expand the grant.
These efforts have not gone unnoticed, and in June, the Chester County Economic Development Council asked Victory’s Bill Covaleski to speak on a panel about sustainability to other local business leaders. In addition to discussing some of Victory’s efforts, Bill’s presentation emphasized an important and practical consideration for small businesses exploring sustainably programs: conservation, in addition to the environmental benefits, can offer significant cost-saving benefits over time.
Beer – Prima Pils
Victory’s Prima Pils is one of the brewery’s most decorated, having won two medals at the Great American Beer Festival. It pours out a sharp, pale yellow, and it could be a nondescript “macro” if you saw it from across the table. However, the scent is not that of a standard American adjunct lager; it is very well-rounded, flowery and hoppy(piney), yet slightly sweet, not unlike honeysuckle. Upon first gulp, the beer has a nice mouthfeel. Although not quite as crisp as a typical pilsner, it is certainly something that would refresh you on a hot (or cold) day. Up front, you taste the hops as they are bitter and flavorful. (Victory famously uses whole cone hops, which usually provide a softer, more rounded, hoppy flavor as opposed to hop pellets, which are usually a bit stronger.) The bitterness is quickly followed by the malty sweetness (again, somewhat similar to honeysuckle). Eventually, the bitterness returns on the aftertaste (a good thing) and lingers until the next sip.
Overall, this is a crisp, hoppy pilsner with a low enough ABV to make it suitable for sessioning. Highly recommended. Other popular offerings from Victory include the Hop Devil IPA, and Golden Monkey Belgian-style Tripel.
Beer Advocate – 4.07/5
Rate Beer – 3.59/5
New: Mac’s Untapped: 4.50/5
(You can follow me at RevoSpirits on both Twitter (I’m new at this) and Untapped (either online or via the app).