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V is for Victory!

The story of Victory Brewing Company starts on a school bus in 1973 when fifth-graders Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski stepped aboard, on their way to a new school. The two became fast friends and remained so, even as they grew up and went to college on opposite coasts.

Just months out of college, Bill’s appreciation of good beer and access to his father’s home brewing equipment inspired him to explore the hobby. That same year (1985), Bill gave Ron a home brewing kit as a Christmas gift. With that, both Bill and Ron developed their love of the craft, and a friendly rivalry grew between the two. The good-natured competition pushed Bill and Ron to become accomplished home brewers, and as they both grew disillusioned with their jobs in the corporate world they realized their combined skill and love of brewing could pave the path to successful careers as brewers.
Ron left his job as a financial analyst and started an apprenticeship at Baltimore Brewing Company (BBC), working under a Dutch-born and German-trained brewer named Theo DeGroen. After working there for nearly a year, Ron had the necessary prerequisites to move on to study at the Technical University of Munich at Weihenstephan.
Immediately upon Ron’s departure, Bill took over his emptied role in Baltimore. While Ron was enhancing his German brewing knowledge,

Bill was expanding the line of beers produced at the BBC to include several German specialty beers, many of which went on to win multiple awards at the Great American Beer Festival. After his time at BBC, Bill completed his brewing studies by traveling to Munich, Germany to attend Doemens Institute.
After Ron’s year of education in Munich, he returned stateside and took a role at Old Dominion Brewing Company in Virginia. Over the course of four year as the brewmaster there, he helped to increase production from 1,500 barrels annually to nearly 15,000.
With knowledge, experience and a love of quality beer in place, Bill and Ron decided they were ready to open their own brewery near where they first met in Pennsylvania.

Victory Brewing Company opened its doors to the public on Feb. 15, 1996. What was once a Pepperidge Farm factory became home to a 144-seat restaurant, 70-foot-long bar and a full-scale brewery. In its first year, Victory Brewing Company brewed 1,725 barrels of beer.
Since then, Victory has increased the size of the restaurant to 300 seats. The brewery has also expanded, producing 125,713 barrels of beer in 2014. As loyal craft beer drinkers continue to show their dedication to flavorful, quality beer, Victory plans to continue its own growth. Onward to Victory!
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We are transitioning all of our Victory offerings to CANS! w00t!

PRIMIA PILS – Prima! It’s a German exclamation of joy. It’s a recognition of accomplishment. It’s what escaped from our lips the first time we sampled this mighty pilsner recipe. With heaps of whole flower European hops and fine German malts, we achieved the bracing herbal bite and smooth malt flavor that we sought. Prima… an exclamation of Victory! 5.3% ABV. .

HOP DEVIL IPA – Bold, spicy and Menacingly Delicious, this American-hopped IPA offers an aromatic punch and follows through with a lasting, full-bodied finish. Pine and citrus filled nose from the American hops. Malt sweetness in there as well. Drinkable hop juiciness is the key while remaining balanced with ample caramel presence. 6.7% ABV.

GOLDEN MONKEY – Experience the sweet, sensual aromas and flavors of our famous Belgian-style tripel. Immerse yourself in rich notes of fruit and spice and savor its dry finish. Nose is loaded with Belgian yeast character. Banana, clove, isoamyl. Body is equally fruity with light earthy hop character. Boozy with a dry finish. …And at 9.5%, let’s be real. We’ve all got a Golden Monkey story! Check out some of our favorites from last year’s #MonkeyTales contest.

SOUR MONKEY – Sour Monkey, a sour Brettanomyces Tripel, puts a tastefully tart twist on our Golden Monkey’s sweet, fruity essence. A sharp, citrus-laden tang makes this brew a Monkey all its own! Aroma is very varied with lemon, sour, and mild brettanomyces notes. Flavor follows with a tart acidity. Not dry as it finishes with a malty grain flavor.

KIRSCH GOSE – This Cherry-infused Gose will excite your senses with a sharp, sweet burst of fresh cherries. Sublime and effervescent, this bold and bright session ale has an enticing cherry-fruit character. 4.7% ABV.

LIMEY GOSE – This lively gose brings the tart flavor of key lime pie sprinkled with sea salt into a zesty sour lime bier. 4.7% ABV. Limited Availability!

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NEW ITEMS

The rumors are true… we now have Samuel Smith’s beers in CANS and smaller bottles of Lindemans Lambics!

SAMUEL SMITH’S PURE BREWED ORGANIC LAGER – Lightly kilned organic lager malt grown in the UK is the main ingredient, with a substantial addition of organic UK Vienna malt. Samuel Smith’s has begun to source organic hops in England; some of the organic hops used in the recipe come from New Zealand. Certified Organic by the USDA-accredited UK Soil Association. Taste: Bright straw-gold color; medium body. Pure barley malt flavor and herbal hops in perfect balance. Clean and crisp, with brilliant conditioning.

SAMUEL SMITH’S NUT BROWN ALE – Brown ale is a specialty of the North of England, and a very early beer style – it is mentioned in literature in the 16th century. Judicious amounts of dark malt give brown ales brilliant dark-amber color and deep flavors that stop short of roastiness. Taste: The walnut or hazelnut notes in Nut Brown Ale come from dark malts and from fermentation in Yorkshire Squares – no nuts are used in the recipe! Dry, medium-bodied; the Sam Smith ale yeast strain gives a fruity note to the finish. Does NOT contain nuts. Available now in 14.9oz/6/4 cans (#04751). $57.57 per case, $11.99 SSP.
LINDEMANS FRAMBOISE – Long before hops were common in most beers, various fruits and vegetables were used to season beers. The acidity of Lambic beers blends perfectly with raspberries – Lindemans Framboise is the fruit lambic category leader. Taste: Magnificent aroma, delicate palate of raspberries with undertones of fruity acidity; elegant, sparkling clean taste, with inviting raspberry supported by lambic complexity. Deep reddish-purple color with pink head.

Download the Summer 2018
Merchant du Vin Newsletter PDF here.

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IN THE PRESS

Cheers to our partners at von Trapp Brewing in Stowe for being awarded two medals in the U.S. Open Beer Championship!

“The 2018 U.S. Open Beer Championship awarded von Trapp Brewing a gold medal in the German Kölsch category and a bronze medal in the Bock beer category. This year’s competition, held in Oxford, Ohio, included breweries from South Carolina to South Korea with over 6,300 beer entries, and more than 110 different beer styles. The competition is the only one to include beers from professional breweries and award-winning home-brewers, with judges from England, Canada and the United States.

‘We’re honored by this latest round of medals, and I am proud of our brewing team and my father Johannes’ vision,” said Sam von Trapp, Executive VP of von Trapp Brewing. “Our Kölsch has clearly been popular with the public, and it’s nice to see the judges confirming their good taste.'”

Prost!

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It’s The Beer Talking: von Trapp
From the archives: “Sam von Trapp and Mike Whitty from von Trapp Brewery in Stowe, Vt. discuss loyalty, winning your home market, their origin story – yes, that von Trapp – and reveal what type of animal is on their logo. Then, host Jeff Baker and producer Ryan Chaffin grill the guests in the lightning round.”

https://soundcloud.com/thebeertalking/ep-211-von-trapp-brewing

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NON-ALC PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT

Introducing: Cold Brewtus Espresso!

Cold Brewtus Espresso is a StraightBrew that’s bold, commanding, and has never lost a staring contest. It’s the perfect companion for those of us with cold, dark souls, that still need to wake up early. If you like black coffee, but wish it was smoother and less acidic, our Espresso StraightBrew is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Please keep refrigerated.