Keeping to its traditions of locally sourced ingredients and partnering with dynamite Pennsylvania businesses, Victory Brewing Company announced two innovative combinations in time for the holiday season.

Victory has teamed up with Mt. Airy’s Earth-Bread + Brewery to create Earth & Flame, a limited edition bourbon barrel aged Scotch ale.  West Chester-based Waffatopia has also partnered with Victory to create the Sweet and Stormy Waffle, a sweet waffle infused with Victory’s Storm King Imperial Stout, which launched on Friday, November 14.

Earth & Flame builds on the shared love for dark robust ales that brewers from Victory and Earth-Bread+Brewery all enjoy.  The brewing team sought the richness and warmth from the winter dessert inspired brew and incorporated the use of peat-smoked malt to lend an earthy character that could be tempered by the warm vanilla flavors that the oak barrels would naturally impart. Careful selection of ingredients yielded rich notes of plum, gingerbread and toffee, resulting in a perfect product suited for autumn and winter’s chill nights. Earth & Flame will be sold in 750 mL bottles and on draft with an ABV of 11.7%.

Waffatopia owners, Brian and Andrea Polizzi, and Victory brewmasters, Bill Covaleski and Ron Barchet, have always shared a passion for ingenuity and diversification in the competitive fast-paced food and beverage industry. With the Sweet and Stormy Waffle, the team artfully combined the smooth rich chocolate flavor of Storm King with the naturally sweet pure Belgian sugar and yeast risen dough to deliver this one-of-a-kind waffle to its loyal beer and waffle fans, devoid of any added preservatives or artificial flavors.

“We are so fortunate to be able to work with our Chester County friend, Victory Brewing Company, in the creation of this new waffle,” said Waffatopia’s Co-Founder and Co-Chief Waffatier, Brian Polizzi. “We both believe in the value of diversification and the Sweet and Stormy Waffle is the result of our enduring drive towards uniqueness.”

On November 26th, Earth & Flame will be available at the Downingtown, PA retail store on Wee Wednesday, a moniker which playfully reflects one of the busiest days of the year in terms of beer, growler fills and wine sales, celebrating Thanksgiving while at the same time paying homage to the nature of the wee heavy kettle boiled Scotch ale. Comparative to how big box stores react to Black Friday, Victory Brewing Company will open its doors at 10 AM (an hour and a half early) to sell beer, fill growlers, serve brunch specials, as well as the brewpub’s full menu.  Additionally, there will be “doorbusters” with only 100 bottles of Earth & Flame sold being personally signed by brewmasters Bill Covaleski, Ron Barchet, senior brewer James Gentile and Earth – Bread + Brewery’s Tom Baker for $25, with all of the profits going directly to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS).

“It was just a matter of time before we collaborated again with Earth-Bread + Brewery,” said Victory’s President and Brewmaster, Bill Covaleski. “Our values align on so many things. We both are passionate about the environment, keeping it local and enjoying flavorful dark ales. Earth & Flame is the natural result of our enduring friendship.”