5 Questions With | Victory Brewing’s Founders Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski

Sustaining a business for 25 years is an achievement in any industry, but it is particularly impressive in the tumultuous and unpredictable world of craft beer. Downingtown, Pennsylvania-based Victory Brewing Company has been churning out Bavarian-inspired beers and other inventive offerings since 1996, establishing itself as a pillar of the Pennsylvania beer community and as somewhat of an innovator thanks to the rampant success of its Golden Monkey Belgian Tripel brand. Being able to properly execute a variety of European-styles, with Victory’s own unique twists, has generated acclaim and a passionate following for the brewery. With the brewery celebrating 25 years in business, I asked Victory Brewing founders Ron Barchet and Bill Covaleski about how they’ve been able to sustain success, their approach to community building, and what excites them about the craft beer market today. 

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Belgian-Style Baseball | Dubbels & Tripels

This time of year nothing’s more American than watching a baseball game with a beer in hand. Everyone knows the power of singles, doubles and triples in baseball’s major leagues, but few are familiar with Belgium’s similarly-named heavy-hitters. Belgian-style of Dubbels and Tripels often cause confusion since they aren’t as intuitively familiar as counting the bases in the ballpark.

Starting with the basics, the majority of craft beers fit the category of a single, or table beer as the Belgians would say. These beers typically fall into the 4 – 6 percent ABV range and encompass a wide range of styles and flavors.

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A Tale of Two Sours | Anderson Valley Gose and Great Divide Belgian-Style Sour

It was the best of sours, it was the best of sours. My apologies to Mr. Dickens, but the tale of these two sours from two different breweries located in two different regions, and enjoying two different histories, is a joyful one. So, do you prefer California or Colorado? Kettle or Barrel? Belgium or Germany? It doesn’t matter. You can have whatever you want because beers like these exemplify how we as craft beer fans are indeed living in the best of times.

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New Belgium Brewing | Honey Orange Tripel

When you think of the holidays, what memories come to mind? I think of the smell of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies with burnt edges because my mom left them in the oven too long. I remember the Christmas presents constantly needing protection from our 100-pound Golden Retriever, who had a particular proclivity for shaking and tearing the wrapping paper off the gifts like he was hunting live game. Most of all, I love bringing fresh, delicious flavors of the season to all of the holiday festivities, for everyone to try. This year, I have found my beverage of choice for our new annual Christmas party beer sampling – New Belgium Brewing’s delicious Honey Orange Tripel.
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Rockmill Brewery | Tripel

Ask most people to picture Ohio, and they’ll probably think of flat farmland covered in soybeans and corn stretching for miles toward the horizon and broken up only by farmhouses and small towns. That’s an accurate enough image for much of Ohio, but as you head toward the southeast corner of the state, the landscape becomes something else entirely. This region is hilly and rugged, wooded and more wild than the tamed crop lands of the rest of the state. These are the foothills of the Appalachians, and this region of the Buckeye state feels like it has more in common with its neighbors, Kentucky and West Virginia, than its does with the rest of Ohio.

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Conshohocken Brewing Company | Tripel Deke Belgian-Style Tripel Ale

Featured photo credit: Conshohocken Brewing

ABV: 8.5%

Philadelphia suburban towns that fall along the Schuylkill River have seen quite a revitalization of both business and community in the past decade. Multi-use recreational trails are being created and communities are investing in the areas through the spawning of local businesses. With the beloved Schuylkill River Trail at their back door (literally, the trail is right through the backdoor), Conshohocken Brewing Company‘s slogan “Go where the path takes you” has been taken quite literally. The path seems to be leading people and well-garnered praise right to their front steps. Read More

Brewery Showcase | Weyerbacher Brewing Company

Beneath the gaze of the iconic court jester, you’ll find a set of glass doors, which bear the number “21.” That’s 21 years of defying expectations. 252 months of eschewing style guidelines. 7,665 days (give or take a few leap days) of perfecting their craft. Read More

Lantern Brewing | Tripel

Lantern Brewing | Tripel – 8% ABV

If you are even casual fan of Belgian style beers, especially the tripel, you know they can get pretty out there with high ABV, bacteria treated sours, complicated aging processes, and unusual ingredients. They can become so complex that it’s easy to forget why people loved them to start with: they are refreshing, clean-flavored, balanced beers that happen to punch above their weight class in terms of alcohol content. Read More

New Belgium Heavenly Feijoa Tripel

ABV: 9%

Knowing that I have to drive two and a half hours round trip to a jobsite and work an eight hour day, is normally not my favorite way to start the day. However on this particular day, I was travelling to the lovely town of Fort Collins. How is it that the saying goes? “When in Rome”…. I don’t quite remember the rest. What I do remember is that “When in Fort Collins, visit the New Belgium Taproom.” This Wednesday afternoon was no different. While I planned to pick up this years release of La Folie and Transatlantique Kriek for myself and a couple of friends (I’m a fantastic friend… and now accepting applications), I was graced by the presence of the New Belgium Heavenly Feijoa Tripel. Read More

Great Divide- Orabelle

Generally speaking if you’re going to release a beer on New Year’s Eve, it better be pretty damn good. Great Divide’s Orabelle doesn’t disappoint. The spring seasonal Belgian Style Triple made it’s debut on New Years Eve in a tap room only release and for good reason.

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Tripel Horse Belgian-Style Tripel Ale

ABV – 10%
A Confession: As your faithful Northeast correspondent, my beer selection has been decidedly New York-centric.
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