UPDATE: Victory Brewing Company’s 1337 Ale is now available on the East Coast. Be sure to use Victory’s Beer Finder to snag some bottles and sip on!
Victory Brewing Company will celebrate 18 years in the beer business early this year. To commemorate this monumental achievement, they will release an anniversary beer scheduled to hit retail shelves along the East Coast in late-February 2014. Called 1337 Ale, the beer is a salute to the legislation that legalized homebrewing with a throwback recipe from co-founders Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet’s early days as homebrewers.
Signed into law in 1979, H.R. 1337 made home-brewed beer for personal or family use exempt from taxation and ignited a movement that led to the birth of a now thriving craft beer industry. At that time, Bill and Ron were more focused on street hockey and Star Wars than hops. However, six years later, armed with a homebrew kit, the pair developed a passion for the hobby that would lead them to abandon their corporate jobs to pursue the craft and eventually start Victory Brewing Company.
Now, as Victory continues its expansion into a second full-time production brewery in Parkesburg, Pa., this limited and commemorative ale, packaged in 22 oz. bottles and kegs, also celebrates the brewery’s future.
“Thankfully, 1337 Ale will have more maturity and complexity than we did as a 16-year olds,” said President and Brewmaster Covaleski. “This was a fun beer to dream up; it took Ron and I on a nice walk down Memory Lane, while at the same time, celebrates the next phase of our journey as we head into our 18th breweries and soon-to-be second brewpub under our belt. Hopefully our fans have enjoyed the ride as much as we have.”
Happy Anniversary, Victory. Cheers to 18 years of great beer!
- Artwork: Victory Brewing Company
