Victory Brewing Company - Sunrise Weissbier

Sunrise Weissbier hits the mark exactly; a right-on, true-to-style Bavarian-style hefeweizen. Note the spot-on appearance, including the brilliantly white frothy head. Expect big, yeasty notes on the nose, with bold fruity esters—notably orange, with a hint of banana—as well as cloves and some lemony, slightly herbal noble hop notes. The nose implies ample sweetness, but it's toned down in the flavor to preserve drinkability, another true to style element of this brew. Wheat beers are a bit unlike other brews in that they tend to balance sweeter malt influences by gentle sourness rather than bitterness—which is what we find in this brew. Note a citrusy interplay between orange and lemon tanginess that lingers a bit in the finish. We're on the verge of summer folks, and this is a great beer to have on hand for warm weather, BBQs, and getting that lawn back into shape—truly refreshing, and highly tasty, the brewery recommends pairing with soft, creamy cheeses and juicy summer grapes, or green salads with light vinegar dressings and fresh herbs. Truly, a Victory for Your Taste! Remember, leave off the lemon wedge garnish on this one—it's full of all natural BEER flavor, no help is needed from wedges, of any sort.

Let's just call it like it is; the Victory Brewing Company of Downingtown, Pennsylvania is one of America's Best Breweries. But don't take our word for it, Malt Advocate Magazine selected Victory as their Brewery of the Year for 2001. Still not convinced—well, we've got two more ways to assure you (try the beers we've sent you!) We're immensely pleased to be featuring beers from this hugely respected brewery. Founders Ron Barchet & Bill Covaleski met in 1973 in Montgomery County, PA; both were 10 years old. They remained close friends, though academic pursuits took them to different places during college. Ron headed out to Southern California to earn his degree in Political Science and Economics, while Bill obtained his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Temple University in Philadelphia. Not long after college, both became disenchanted with their chosen trades and picked up the hobby of homebrewing to "drown" their sorrows. In time, the hobby became a new career for both—Ron secured an apprenticeship at the Baltimore Brewing Company and then headed out to Germany to continue his studies; Bill quickly picked up Ron's position at the brewery once he left for Germany. Both became well-versed in the art of German brewing, with Bill earning numerous awards for domestic interpretations of German beers that he developed. Ron returned from Germany and joined the production staff at Old Dominion Brewing Company in Virginia, and using his newfound knowledge of European brewing techniques & styles, saw production soar 1000% in four years! During their 10 years of homebrewing and commercial brewing for other breweries, they dreamt up a brewing operation that would combine an on-site restaurant and bar serving up freshly brewed beer. In 1996, after earning many accolades for their brewing efforts, and confident in their abilities to set up and run their own brewery & restaurant, they opened the Victory Brewing Company. We encourage you to visit their website which is jam-packed with info, including details about upcoming events, such as their annual tour in which founders and brewmasters Ron & Bill lead vacationing beer cognoscenti on a 10-day European Pils tour through Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria, along a brewery route that inspired their own brewing careers. They've also got an entire site devoted to cooking with beer and beer & food pairing, complete with podcasts, cooking tips and recipes—you've got check it out at www.victorybeer.com/cooking/. Cooking with beer can be great as a hobby, for bonding with your spouse, or just a creative outlet. Not only that, it's down right addictive! Speaking of addictive, we've tried something like 15 of Victory's different beers over the years, and we haven't found one that wasn't top notch. If you ever find Victory brews on your beer store shelf (or while traveling to a region that has them), buy them. They're one of the finest breweries in the nation—you will not be disappointed. For more information about the brewery, restaurant & scheduled tours, call (610) 873-0881 or check out their web site at www.victorybeer.com.