Victory Beer Reigns Victorious with School Bus Tours, Brewpubs in Kennett Square, Parkesburg
What’s better than beer? More beer!
That’s pretty much the Victory beer tour in a nutshell at the new Parkesburg brewery. Then there was the Kennett Square location that opened last year. And let’s not forget the mothership. Where is that you ask? The Downingtown meetup, where the school bus tour leaves from, is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, 33 miles west of Philadelphia (aka not that far of a drive, especially for craft beer!)
First drink some beer at the mothership bar/brewpub in Downington, then board the school bus and don’t buckle in (because you can’t, remember? Just hold on for dear life!) When you arrive, they will give you more beer. Then you’re able to go behind the brewing scenes and learn about Victory’s beer goggle vision (with goggles on) and brewing philosophy first hand. Learning is good too! Listen (while you drink) about how malted barley, hops, yeast and water can come together to make such a delicious beverage. Stare in awe at German engineering and American ingenuity that go into making the Victory beers Philly knows and loves!
Some lucky souls live in a new nearby housing complex behind this brewpub and can walk every day to Victory at Magnolia, the second brewpub for Victory, located at 650 West Cypress Street in Kennett Square, Pa. While using locally sourced ingredients, providing local jobs and maintaining green initiatives, the seven-barrel brewery with a custom hop back and open fermentation will serve a rotating selection of Kennett Square-brewed beer on draft.
With outdoor seating the obvious option this summer and fall, seating up to 220 guests for a la carte dining is a breeze. And before you head out the door, make sure to grab a growler with a cozy (or snuggie) and a six-pack or two to go at the retail store. Beer infused cheese and ice cream are also ready to devour at home (or on the way home).
And finally, the new digs at Parkesburg with self-guided tours. The third brewpub for the Philadelphia-based national craft brewer located at 3127 Lower Valley Road in Parkesburg, PA, features self-guided tours of the EPA-Green Power Partnership accredited 160,000 square foot facility with a rotating selection of 30 Victory beers on draft, a double-headed growler machine, a crowler (custom can filling) machine and a menu inspired by local ingredients. It seats 348, including a 1,000 pound authentic German stammtisch table.
The second floor mezzanine boasts a relaxed self-service ordering process with high top tables made of reclaimed white oak. The menu will to continue to offer signature menu items, including hand tossed pretzel with Helles Lager beer mustard and jalapeño HopDevil cheese ($6.00) and mussels steamed in shallots, parsley and Golden Monkey with enough crusty bread to respect it ($13.00). There will also be a lentil and chickpea vegetarian burger ($9.00) and shortrib and chuck Brewery Burger ($11.00) and brewpub-centric dishes like the spent grain bread with compound butter and raspberry preserves ($5.00). The restaurant will be open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
The multimedia, self-guided tours of the Parkesburg brewery are an explorative journey showcasing Victory’s top quality brewing process. Visitors will witness the step-by-step brewing process and experience Victory’s vision and philosophy in action. Located on the mezzanine level, craft beer fans are directed to viewing stations showcasing the equipment and ingredients that constantly produce beloved Victory brands. Next, viewers are drawn to the mesmerizing fluid action of the bottling and canning lines where Victory brews are readied for their journey to the shelves. Glimpses of the whole flower hop freezer and cutting rooms, and quality control labs are additional highlights of the tour, which ends at the newly opened brewpub for thirst quenching beer and a delicious meal. The retail store, found adjacent to the brewpub, offers a wide selection of year round and seasonal Victory brews.
If Victory keeps up this expansion pace, they will rule the world. But right now, they’ve got the Philly suburbs down. Keep reigning victorious, our Victory beer friends.
