Victory Brewing announced today plans to open an innovation brewery and taproom — the Downingtown-based craft brewery’s fourth in Pennsylvania — next year in Philadelphia.
The 14,000-sq. ft. space, located in Philadelphia’s Logan Square neighborhood, will feature a 10-barrel brewhouse, three bars, a kitchen, and outdoor seating at both street level and on a rooftop patio. It is slated to open in late 2020.
“Victory’s leadership position in craft beer since 1996 affords us a long perspective on the evolution of this movement and encourages us that now is the time to roll up our sleeves and start brewing in Philadelphia,” co-founder Bill Covaleski said in a press release.
The foray into Philadelphia was years in the making, Covaleski added.
“We’ve been patiently looking for the perfect downtown Philadelphia location for years. This property, and its iconic address, 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, presents the perfect venue for us to expose both Philly residents and visitors to innovative, quality craft beer, while expanding the audience for the entire craft beer industry,” he said.
Project costs and financing was not disclosed. The Philadelphia brewery will serve as an innovation hub for Victory.
Victory currently operates three other properties in eastern Pennsylvania, including breweries and taprooms in Downingtown and Parkesburg, as well as a taproom in Kennett Square. The Pennsylvania craft brewery, which merged with New York’s Southern Tier Brewing in 2016 to form Artisanal Brewing Ventures (ABV), which is backed by family office Ulysses Management, also operates shared brewery and taproom spaces in Charlotte, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. (Recall that ABV acquired New York-based Sixpoint Brewery last November.)
In an email to Brewbound, ABV chief marketing officer Derek Detenber wrote that the company sees “many angles” to “drive innovation through the taproom.
“We will certainly create new brands that can be tested and proven in the taproom,” he said. “But, we also think we can partner with other local brands for collaborations, as well as working with key on- and off-premise retail partners to create some unique beers that can be distributed in the market.”
Detenber added that Victory has been communicating with its local wholesaler, Penn Distributing, about the project and its potential to produce beer for distribution.
Last year, Victory produced 143,272 barrels, down 3% compared to 2017, according to national trade group the Brewers Association (BA). ABV collectively ranked as the 11th largest domestic craft brewery in 2018, producing a combined 310,759 barrels, according to the BA.