Access/Parking: Near downtown Downingtown, PA. Slightly hard to locate main entrance in the block sized warehouse building.
Space: 3 large main dinning rooms, one large bar area. Primarily drywall in light tones, but also lots of wood accents. Very neat cooper kettle pieces in the bar area.
Beer: Beer Advocate rating as of 6/18/13 = 94Victory Brewing Co. is located in Downingtown, PA; which is under an hour from downtown Philly. First off, I would recommend trying to find Victory in the day light (I however didn't). The building is easy enough to locate, but the signage saying what side of the city block sized building the entrance is on is rather hard to find. A turn around to relocate it is likely. Parking is relatively plentiful, just not right next to the door so if it's raining drop off the passengers and bring an umbrella cause it's a walk. As said, the building a huge industrial style space, and in fact was originally a Pepperidge Farm factory.
Once inside, you can tell this place is a favorite of the area (and that wasn't just because it was taco night!). There are three very large areas to eat, and one very long bar area with plenty of standing tables as well. The ceilings are very high, slanted, and with exposed duct work, bracing, and piping. Muted tones for paint on both the walls and ceiling, I'll say in the tan realm, even though every one who knows me now completely doubts that. The walls are sparsely adorned with a few pieces of breweriana, and some old WWI and WWII signs...promoting Victory, of course!
The long bar has roughly 21 seats, a dark wood back splash, and mirrors behind. However, the coolest aspect to the bar area are the huge cooper kettle cut outs. Basically, they have either purchased old kettles, or fabricated new ones, cut the tops off, and the cut the tops in half to create overhangs for the bar. They even have structural supports coming down as the sides that help make the rest of the bar. One of the coolest bar features I've seen to date. Next to the bar there is a large circular table using an entire top cut of a kettle for a canopy that I think is equally as cool. There are a flags hanging from the rafters, and a few tvs hung up in the bar area as well. As for the offerings, there were 17 beers on tap, but no wine or liquor available.
Of the three main dining rooms, one is nearly connected to the bar area but would likely serve as a private event room. The room has a large projection tv, PLENTY of seating, and can be closed off by large double doors. The night I was there, the Alabama vs Notre Dame BCS Championship game was being played and that room was full of patrons. Side Story: I was pulling for Alabama that night and kept thinking I was in the right place to watch the game: Victory. Clearly they won - big time. Later that night I had bought a t-shirt with the Victory logo. Once home I kept it visible and thought about it often (I didn't even move it from my man room chair where I unpacked it)...but didn't wear it...until my Ravens won the Super Bowl. Yep...superstitious to the core.
Anyway, the other "eating" rooms are very clean cut and restaurant-esque with more seats than I wanted to stand still and count (while looking creepy to the patrons I'm sure). Newer wood floors, and the lighting all throughout the facility is low, but very adequate. One room however is a long, slightly darker hallway with booths only on the sides. Continuing further down this hallway, under more cut out copper kettles, leads to the merchandise store. There you have a slew of options for merch and also both standard beers and hard to find one offs from the brewery.
Overall, I would absolutely come back to Victory...time and time again. It may be a bit out of the way in Downington, but it's worth it. The atmosphere is casual, fun, and unique (well, for the kettles). I recommend the Storm King Stout, Hop Devil, Hop Wallop, and Old Horizontal (or it's incarnations if the original isn't available). Make the trip here and you won't be disappointed at all!
(Photos to come shortly)
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