Located in Downingtown in Chester County, the Victory Brewing Company is well worth a visit.

Victory opened in 1996 in an old Pepperidge Farm factory in Downingtown, Chester County. Victory began to gain national recognition with their very first beer, Victory Hop Devil, a hoppy India pale ale. Ever since, Victory has been producing incredibly bold beers “for those who appreciate flavorful beer."

The German-trained brewers at Victory now brew more than 20 varieties, according to season and demand. They’ve increased their output from 1,750 barrels a year to 25,000 and, after converting to a new Rolec 50 barrel brew house in 2005, now have the capacity to produce 100,000 annually.

Why the expansion? Because the accolades keep rolling in. The (dangerously strong) Golden Monkey Tripel won a silver medal in the 2004 International Beer Competition in London. Their popular Hop Devil Ale earned the title of “Champion American Beer” in the Great British Beer Festival in 2002. Both Men’s Journal and the New York Times rated their Prima Pilsner the best pilsner style in the world.

The beer aficionado website, www.ratebeer.com, ranked Victory Brewing Company the 14th best brewery in the world.

For your visit, you should know that tours are given on Fridays and Saturdays and that the brewery includes a full-service restaurant — with an exclusive selection of Victory brews on tap. And since many of Victory’s craft brews are only sold here, be sure you have means to depart with a few sample six-packs or growlers filled straight from the taps.