One of the coolest things about Victory at Kennett Square—and there are many—is the freedom brewers have to experiment and dream up small batch beers. It’s a dream come true for beer lovers near and far who come to belly up to the bar and taste a brew that may be on tap for only a few days.
Brewer Joe Jasper has been at the helm in Kennett Square since June 2016, and is excited about what’s brewing at Victory Brewing Company.
“We’ve got a lot of freedom here to do what we like, and what people ask for,” Joe explained. “We get feedback from staff and from customers at the bar. There’s a lot of excitement around what we’re brewing.”
That freedom means thirsty customers will find a large range of beers: traditional IPAs, rye pale ales, single hop beers, creative takes on goses—you really never know what you’ll find on tap when Joe is in the brewhouse.
“We love to test things, like the new hops coming out of experimental phases in Germany and Yakima in Washington,” Joe teased.
Joe knows experimenting. He started as a home brewer, then spent a year as an assistant winemaker in Virginia while on the waitlist for the University of California at Davis brewmaster’s program. From there he hit Oregon’s rich brewery scene and did stints at Pyramid Breweries, Oakshire Brewing and, for the last three and a half years, Deschutes Brewery.
“Back when I was in Virginia, I got my hands on a HopDevil and thought it was a revolutionary way of approaching beer,” he said. “I instantly loved that it was boldly hopped to capture the aromatics. It was way ahead of its time.”
That played into his decision to pursue a career with Victory when a lucky twist of fate relocated his family to the area. Joe was familiar with the brand and—as luck would have it, again—had a friend at Victory. The rest is delicious history.
The crew at Kennett Square has busted out some stars, like Fresh Hopped IPL (India Pale Lager), a lager version of an IPA using wet hops fresh from Victory’s hop yard at the Parkesburg location.
How about session IPAs? Fully carbonated, these beers can be tricky to brew but are beautifully balanced in the hands of Victory’s brewers.
“We want to make sure they’re not a bitter hop bomb—we look to showcase the hops and see what they can do,” Joe added. “We did Experimental IPA with Tettnang Melon Hops that had floral hoppiness, earthy and bready notes with a clean bitterness. There were two others with experimental hops: Mandarina Session IPA with great floral happiness, citrus notes and a clean, crisp finish, and Denali Session IPA that was light bodied, very hoppy with nice, clean bitterness. They all had similar malt profiles, were late-hopped in the brewhouse and dry hopped in fermentation.”
Check out some of the other unique deliciousness coming out of Victory at Kennett Square. Some have come and gone, some will return and some are yet to hit the taps, but you get it: that’s what small batch brewing is all about. It’s the happy surprise when you settle into the bar and check out the beer list only to find your old favorites are sharing tap space with something new. Bottom line? You need to hurry to Kennett Square early and often to experience what Joe is brewing. It could be …
- Integral IPA
- Reconnaissance Rye Pale Ale
- Vociferous Belgian-Style IPA
- Situational Strong Ale
- SMASH Lager (Single Malt And Single Hop)
- Java Cask Imperial Stout (aged in whiskey and bourbon barrels)
- Double Rye (aged in whiskey barrels)
- A Barleywine that benefits from One Village Coffee beans
- Blackberry Gose (thanks to a timely introduction to Berry Good Farms)
- Rhubarb Gose
- The Beet Goes on Gose (from the Parkesburg’s locations Victory Garden)
When he’s not delighting taste buds, Joe enjoys the great outdoors. You might find him hiking, biking, backpacking, rock climbing or camping—with Victory beer in tow.
Whether it’s by car, motorcycle or bike, make your way to Victory at Kennett Square and see what this local brewery has in store. Remember to sample the great menu at the Brewpub, too!
Victory at Kennett Square is located at 600 W. Cypress St. in Kennett Square; phone: (484) 730-1870.
- Photos: Victory Brewing Company
