Brewer collaborations have recently hit the press harder than ever. However, Victory of Downingtown, PA got a major head start on this starting back in 2007 when they first began to work with Schonram brewery, a distant beer comrade. In partnership with the German Hop Growers’ Association, Victory Brewing Company has brewed five specialty beers to debut at the Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego California.
Ron Barchet, Co-Founder and Brewmaster of Victory Brewing Company, and Eric Toft, the head brewer at Schönram brewery in Germany, developed these special recipes specifically for the conference as a way to demonstrate the diversity of beer flavors that can be created with unique hops.
The brewers look forward to working withe each other every year on the special brews. Barchet, of Victory has noted that Eric has creativity that pushes both brewers to the next level of craftsmanship. For example, this year the team has been working together to brew with experimental, still not-on-the-market hop varieties, in order to achieve something truly unique.
For the 2012 conference, the beers include two recipes brewed with two different experimental hops, Bavarian “013” Pale Ale and Bavarian “728” IPA. Two others are pilsners brewed with Tettnang hops from different farms in Tettnang Germany, Tettnanger “Strass” Pils and Tettnanger “Dietmannsweiler” Pils. The final beer was brewed using spalt select hops, and is called Bavarian “Spalt Select” IPA.
It is the sixth year that the German Hop Growers Association has teamed with Victory Brewing Company to bring exclusive recipes to the conference. Attendees can enjoy the brews for free at the Trade Expo and Hospitality in Sand Diego and Chester County locals will be able to purchase them at Victory. You will be the final judge of whether the beer pasts the taste bud test but, regardless of the final product, it’s still admirable that these two collaborators have been doing this since 2007. Despite the distance and communication barrier, the beer has always impressed.
All five of the beers will have their national debut simultaneously in San Diego and at Victory Brewing Company’s Downingtown restaurant at the beginning of May.
