brewpubs: Sly Fox vs Victory

Discussion in 'Mid-Atlantic' started by Streaky, May 17, 2013.

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  1. Streaky

    Streaky Zealot (701) Mar 26, 2013 New Jersey

    My girlfriend and I are staying with a friend out in Pottstown for one night so we have the option of checking out Sly Fox or Victory -- or possibly both! We both like brewery tours and Sly Fox has one and Victory doesn't. They seem to be roughly 20 min from each other so we could potentially hit both -- but obvs since we're driving we wouldn't be able to sample as much good beer.

    If we had to pick just one, any suggestions? (Or should we try to hit both?) We'd be getting dinner as well.
     
    #1 Streaky, May 17, 2013
  2. TomFoley

    TomFoley Pundit (945) Mar 19, 2005 Pennsylvania

    Yeah, Victory stopped doing tours a ways back. If you're in Pottstown, you're at most ten minutes from the Sly Fox Brewery/Tasting room, likely closer. The Sly Fox Brewpub is a little further just outside of Phoenixville. Victory is 20/25 minutes or so from the brewpub, further from the brewery. If you do make it to Downingtown, definitely check out the Station Taproom on Rt 30 on the west side of town.
     
    #2 TomFoley, May 17, 2013
  3. HokiesandBeer

    HokiesandBeer Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2013 Pennsylvania

    Everything TomFoley said. Personally I'd go with Victory.
     
    #3 HokiesandBeer, May 17, 2013
  4. Jaysus

    Jaysus Initiate (0) Jan 16, 2003 Pennsylvania

    I'd go with Victory as well.
     
    #4 Jaysus, May 17, 2013
  5. Starkbier

    Starkbier Initiate (0) Sep 19, 2002 Maryland

    dont forget you can get growlers or bottles to go at Victory too, plus the samplers allow you to try a lot of beers with a small portion.
     
    #5 Starkbier, May 17, 2013
  6. Streaky

    Streaky Zealot (701) Mar 26, 2013 New Jersey

    Thanks for the advice! Pretty stoked about this weekend.
     
    #6 Streaky, May 17, 2013
  7. ShanePB

    ShanePB Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2010 Pennsylvania

    I think as a whole Victory makes better beer. Try their brewpub-only drafts, especially the Braumeister series.
     
    #7 ShanePB, May 17, 2013
  8. HokiesandBeer

    HokiesandBeer Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2013 Pennsylvania

    Evidently their new Hip Czech Lager is really good....been meaning to stop in and try a pint.
     
    #8 HokiesandBeer, May 17, 2013
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  9. Streaky

    Streaky Zealot (701) Mar 26, 2013 New Jersey

    I had Hip Czech on draft here in Philly recent and I can attest it is quite good.

    I think what we're gonna do is schedule a 4pm tour of the Sly Fox brewery, then head over to Victory for dinner/beers. Two breweries, one stone!
     
    #9 Streaky, May 17, 2013
    lostandwandering and HokiesandBeer like this.
  10. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    +1 to this. I like Slyfox just fine, but the opportunity to sample some of Victory's Braumeister Pils is just something I can never pass up.
     
    #10 John_M, May 17, 2013
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  11. Theshagger

    Theshagger Initiate (0) Sep 3, 2011 Pennsylvania

    ...go to tired hands...
     
    #11 Theshagger, May 17, 2013
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  12. Steeeve

    Steeeve Initiate (0) Nov 16, 2010 Pennsylvania

    I'd go with both and just sample the things they don't bottle. Get a bunch of beers at Sly Fox, walk around the Limerick outlets, and then go to Victory for dinner and some more brews. The perfect day!

    (if your girlfriend is like mine, make sure you take away her debit card after Sly Fox... get two beers in my lady and I swear she'd try to buy the moon)
     
    #12 Steeeve, May 17, 2013
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  13. HokiesandBeer

    HokiesandBeer Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2013 Pennsylvania

    I'd wait till it's a quarter moon till you two go out drinking again.
     
    #13 HokiesandBeer, May 17, 2013
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  14. abcramer

    abcramer Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2010 Pennsylvania

    I suggest you visit both. But, if you have time for only one, go to Victory. You'll find a much broader food menu there vs. Sly Fox/Pottstown.
     
    #14 abcramer, May 18, 2013
  15. pitweasel

    pitweasel Initiate (0) Jun 11, 2007 New York

    Another vote for Victory. I've only been to each of the two once, but Victory was the better experience. My server accidentally brought a wrong beer with my flight (which I honestly wouldn't have noticed if she hadn't said so), and ended up giving me the right one on top of it for no charge. I didn't even ask, she just brought it over. And while I do enjoy Sly Fox's beers, I think Victory's have the edge.

    Plus, you'll be really close to Wegmans, so you can stock up on six packs for a pretty reasonable price.
     
    #15 pitweasel, May 18, 2013
  16. Chinon01

    Chinon01 Initiate (0) Jan 23, 2007 Pennsylvania

    Probably 8/10 beers served at Slyfox you'll be able to get in other bars or at bottle shops whereas only about half of what on at Victory will be. So for that reason alone I'd give Victory the nod. Neither place serves outstanding pub food just average.
     
    #16 Chinon01, May 18, 2013
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  17. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader


    "Neither place serves outstanding pub food just average"

    Have to agree with this. It's not awful, and if the OP is just trying to fill up as ballast for the beers he's drinking, it will do the trick just fine. However, you can find much better food elsewhere/nearby (like the Drafting Room in Exton for example).
     
    #17 John_M, May 18, 2013
  18. TomFoley

    TomFoley Pundit (945) Mar 19, 2005 Pennsylvania

    <However, you can find much better food elsewhere/nearby (like the Drafting Room in Exton for example). >

    and the afore mentioned Station Taproom. Hell, Ron's has better food than the brewpubs.
     
    #18 TomFoley, May 18, 2013
  19. tobelerone

    tobelerone Grand Pooh-Bah (4,220) Dec 1, 2010 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I will also throw my vote towards Victory, but it should be said that if you show up there on a weekend night for dinner you are likely to find a huge crowd and very long waits if you don't call ahead. I like stopping into Victory at 3pm on a Tuesday. Not that I'm able to do that all that often. But the evenings, particularly on weekends, can be a bit too packed for my tastes.
     
    #19 tobelerone, May 19, 2013
  20. Streaky

    Streaky Zealot (701) Mar 26, 2013 New Jersey

    Did both!

    Sly Fox was great, awesome hour long tour, cheap pizza, and all the beers I tried were great. Had a pint of Valor, which I had never seen, which was pretty impressive. Victory on the other hand was a complete zoo -- hour wait, we wound up getting a tiny table near the bar -- and the beers they had that I'd never seen were all fairly simple and similar sessionables. The CBC Tettnang pils was, I am sad to say, so watery it was almost like a macro. (Tastier than a macro, but the body was pretty similar...:/ )

    That said, I'd pay another visit to Victory in the future, but this time it'd have to be a weekday night.

    All in all, a great PA beer weekend.
     
    #20 Streaky, May 20, 2013
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