Iron Hill Brewery
A local brewery with eight (soon to be nine) locations around the region!
photo courtesy of Victory Brewing Company
What other breweries do you know that can claim their humble beginnings on the back of a school bus in 1973? Founded in 1996 by two childhood friends Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet who first met on a Worcester Elementary School bus ride, Victory Brewing Company now has more than 150 employees and is distributed in 30 states. Victory can be found all over the city in beer bars and restaurants.
Before establishing the brewpub in Downingtown, Ron and Bill were dedicated home brewers who pursued a serious brewing education. They apprenticed with Dutch brewmasters, attended brewing academies in Munich and even worked for a couple years for the Baltimore Brewing Company. So what brought them back to their home in Philly? “We have an unpretentious but strong food/ beer vibe,” Bill says of Philly. “I don’t know of any other city that does.”
With its long list of award winning beers, Victory has been named as one of the top forty breweries in the United States. Driving Victory’s explosive growth are its flagship beers which include HopDevil IPA, Golden Monkey Belgian-Style Triple and Prima Pils. Recently the New York Times anointed Prima Pils as the best best Pilsner in the country.
Look for Victory staples and some rare seasonals at Philly establishments like the Standard Tap, Johnny Brenda’s and Amada.
