Petrus Aged Pale – a fantastic sour by Brouwerij De Brabandere which would not be available if not for another beer writer – Michael Jackson.

If you  look at my website regularly, you know that I don’t often put a stream of consciousness into words – you know – “blogging.”  I usually just put links to my articles that are published in other media outlets.

But as I put the finishing touches on my fourth article in seven days last night, I reflected on how really cool this “beer writing” thing has become for me.  Last week I visited Whole Foods Market Plymouth Meeting to learn about their upcoming events in support of an article about National Beer Day.  While there I had a beer with Anthony Marino, their in house beer expert, learned how he got into craft brew, and we compared notes on our home brewing efforts.

I also finalized an article on the upcoming Philly Beer Week Collaboration Beer, which was brewed in Amsterdam by Menno Olivier of Brouwerij De Molen along with Tom Kehoe, founder and head brewer at Yards Brewing.  The coolest part about that article was a few weeks back I stopped in to the Yards Tasting Room on Delaware Avenue and interviewed Tom – who, despite his incredibly busy schedule, was able to sit down and share a beer with me while I asked him to tell me about the trip.

Last Friday was also pretty amazing – it started early in the morning with a phone call to Belgium to speak with fifth generation brewer Albert De Brabandere to learn about the history of his family’s brewery, for my ongoing Belgian History column in Philly Beer Scene magazine.

Then, on Friday night, I traveled to the western end of Montgomery County to Railroad Street Pub & Grille in Linfield, where owner Mike McCloskey has turned an old biker bar into one of the best craft beer bars in the Philadelphia Suburbs.  While I was there, I met Tim Hennessey, the force behind last October’s first Pottstown Beerfest, and the upcoming Pottstown Firkinfest, and interviewed him for an upcoming issue of Ticket to Entertainment.

I’ve been writing about beer for three years and it is not losing its luster.  There is so much happening in the craft beer world right now that every day I say, “Man, I wish I had time to go there and write about that!”

So that was last week…what will the next weeks bring?  Keep an eye open for some fun stuff – the San Antonio beer scene, the Nashville beer scene, the Pottstown Firkinfest, the Craft Brewers Conference in Philadelphia, and of course, the mother of all events – Philly Beer Week!

Cheers!

The Brewholder

Copyright 2016 – all rights reserved

A sign of warmer weather!

Victory Brewing Co. announced this week that its summer seasonal, Summer Love, is now available, just in time for baseball and the warm up to summer!  Look for it on draft, in bottles and cans.   Read Victory’s full press release here:

It Wasn’t a Fling – Your Summer Love is Back!

The Wait is Over…Victory Brewing’s Summer Love Has Hit the Market

Downingtown, PA, April 4, 2016 – Victory Brewing Company (Victory), is shaking off the winter chill and bringing back Summer Love Ale. Summer Love Ale is one of craft beer’s most popular and anticipated seasonal beers, brewed with whole flower Tettnang, Simcoe and Citra hops. With its golden color and cool, crisp flavor profile, Summer Love Ale captures the essence and fun of the season of sunshine. Summer Love Ale, at 5.2% alcohol by volume, promises the refreshing familiarity of a crisp brew backed by fresh, clean German malts and a surprising burst of lemony refreshment from fistfuls of American whole flower hops at its finish.

“When we brewed Summer Love we tried to capture the essence of summer and bottle the spirit and fun of the season. Six years later Summer Love has developed nostalgia of its own,” said Victory’s President and Brewmaster, Bill Covaleski. “Our fans eagerly await its return and seek out the Summer Love that’s become their beach trip, ball game, or shady picnic go-to for five summers running.”

This summertime favorite is now on draft, in 12 oz. bottles and in 12 oz. cans. Summer Love will also be available in their Summer Selections Variety 12-pack along with Vital IPA and two new Victory brews, Cage Radler and Frische Weisse.

Available on draft and in cans and bottles through September, Summer Love Ale can be found in bars, major grocery stores, bottle shops and beer distributors throughout the brewery’s 37-state footprint. Use Victory’s Beerfinder to find your Summer Love.

Photo courtesy of Victory Brewing Company

——

Cheers!

The Brewholder

Copyright 2016 – all rights reserved

Just released….read the press release here:

VICTORY BREWING COMPANY AND SOUTHERN TIER BREWING

UNITE UNDER NEW HOLDING COMPANY

Mid-Market Breweries Rise to the Challenges and Adapt in Ever-Changing Craft Beer Marketplace

Downingtown, PA – February 16, 2016 – Having just marked 20 years in the craft brewing industry, Victory Brewing

Company (Victory) proudly announces a landmark alliance with Southern Tier Brewing Company (Southern Tier) under parent company Artisanal Brewing Ventures (ABV). As the first major transaction of 2016 within the rapidly evolving craft beer industry, this union presents a new model for craft beer partnerships by preserving brewery independence while pooling deep collective resources.

The new strategic framework between ABV, Victory and Southern Tier provides capital, security and vision for the future. ABV, formed to unify independent craft brewers and distillers, embraces the collaborative craft spirit while administering crucial growth resources. Arlington Capital Advisors acted as exclusive financial consultant to Victory.Wells Fargo’s Beverage Finance group provided capital to support the investment and continued growth at ABV. The transaction is expected to close within the next 60 days.

Under the umbrella of ABV, Victory and Southern Tier will independently operate their breweries, commanding a joint capacity of over 800,000 barrels of potential annual production. This alliance creates one of the largest brewers in the Northeast and ranks within the top 15 craft brewing companies in the United States according to Brewers Association criteria with combined 2015 shipments of over 250,000 barrels. With a world-class roster of complementary beer brands and an even stronger standing in the marketplace, ABV will shepherd Victory and Southern Tier in collaborative sales and marketing efforts to strengthen, support and expand its distributor and retail partnerships. Victory and Southern Tier brands will become increasingly available to loyal and new consumers across their combined markets as a direct result of this union.

“The craft beer community is at its most critical moment since its inception as larger brewing corporations have bought into our grassroots movement, irrevocably changing the marketplace. Like-minded brewers such as Victory and Southern Tier can preserve our character, culture and products by banding together,” said Bill Covaleski, Founder and Brewmaster of Victory Brewing Company. “Allied we can continue to innovate and best serve the audience who fueled our growth through their loyal thirst.”

“Having gotten to know Phin, John and the whole management team, I am more excited than ever about the innovations that lie in our collective futures. One walk through their brewery and I knew that Southern Tier had the same belief in quality and excellence that has driven our culture for 20 years,” explains Ron Barchet, COO of Victory Brewing Company.

The Victory and Southern Tier leadership teams and employees will remain intact. Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet of Victory, who will become significant shareholders in ABV, will join the Artisanal Brewing Ventures’ Board of Directors.  CEO John Coleman and CFO Bill Wild will lead ABV’s management team.  “This is exactly the kind of alliance we imagined when we created Artisanal Brewing Ventures in 2014,” said Phin DeMink, founder of Southern Tier Brewing Company and also a major shareholder in ABV. “This is a concept that was specifically designed by and for craft brewers, so we can focus on the things we’re best at while creating meaningful scale advantages. I’m proud to see this model validated and am grateful that my friends Ron and Bill have become our partners.”

“This is the ultimate craft beer collaboration. It is an honor to be associated with these pioneering entrepreneurs who have been contributing to the industry since craft’s early days,” said John Coleman, CEO of ABV. “I look forward to guiding these two truly great organizations forward as they collaborate, innovate and share best practices.”  “I believe this is a watershed transaction for the craft brewing world. This union of two great regional players preserves their independence and distinct cultures while sharing administrative and management functions to support deeper investment in sales, marketing and innovation,” commented Vann Russell, Managing Director and Founder of Arlington Capital.

About Victory Brewing Company

Victory Brewing Company is a craft brewery headquartered in Downingtown, PA. Founded by childhood friends, Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet, Victory officially opened its doors in February of 1996. Victory’s second state of the art brewery opened in February of 2014 in Parkesburg, PA to serve fans of fully flavored beers in 37 states with innovative beers melding European ingredients and technology with American creativity. In addition to the original Downingtown brewpub, Victory’s second brewpub is in Kennett Square, while Parkesburg recently launched self-guided tours and the third brewpub. To learn more about Victory Brewing Company please visit www.victorybeer.com.

About Southern Tier Brewing Company

In 2002 Phin and Sara DeMink founded Southern Tier Brewing Company in Lakewood, New York with the vision of reviving the practice of small batch brewing to a region rich in brewing tradition. Following several expansions from 2009 through 2013 Southern Tier now ships over 100,000 barrels annually to 33 states to meet growing demand for Southern Tier’s diverse portfolio of innovative beers that embody the spirit of American craft brewing. In 2015 Southern Tier Distilling Company was formed to create innovative small batch spirits using unique local ingredients under a New York farm-distilling license. To learn more about Southern Tier Brewing Company please visit www.stbcbeer.com.

About Artisanal Brewing Ventures

Artisanal Brewing Ventures is located in Charlotte, NC and was formed by Phin and Sara DeMink and Ulysses Management LLC, a New York based family office, with the vision of creating a home for like-minded, best-in-class craft breweries in close partnership with their founders. Ulysses Management was founded 20 years ago by Joshua Nash as the successor firm to the pioneering investment firm Odyssey Partners, LP. Ulysses invests in profitable, well-established companies with tangible, competitive advantages with the goal to build long-term value that benefits all stakeholders. To learn more about Ulysses Management please visit www.ulyssesmgmt.com.

About Arlington Capital Advisors

Arlington Capital Advisors, LLC is a boutique investment bank that specializes in providing middle-market businesses with financial advisory services. Arlington focuses on providing strategic advice to clients, including sell-side and buy side mergers and acquisitions, sourcing growth capital and other capital-centric strategic alternatives across a wide array of industries including a specific focus and expertise within the consumer industry. For more information on Arlington Capital Advisors please visit www.arlingtoncapitaladvisors.com.