Victory’s Tastykake beer is the first good thing I’ve tried this year

Whenever I’d drag my feet as a kid, my grandma always used to say, “You’re moving as slow as molasses in January!”

In this first month of the year, everything feels like it moves a lot slower, especially time. It felt like I had six Tuesdays on Jan. 2 alone. Unless you’re planning a major life event in 2024, this year is so new (and the Eagles are so nerve-racking) it’s hard to have anything to look forward to yet.

But I’ve found something that’s helped me ease into January as smoothly as a Boyz II Men ballad — Tastykake Koffee Kake Ale from Victory Brewing Company.

Now you can have your Tastykake and drink it too, which is exactly what I did on Wednesday when I went to Victory’s Center City tap room, pulled two Tastykakes out of my purse like I was your grandma, and ate them at the bar with a Tastykake beer.

The bartender didn’t bat an eye.

Anywhere else this might be a sad start to the new year, an obvious sign that I had not only failed at following through with my resolutions, but that, in fact, I had made none at all (true and true).

But here in Philly, where kids grow up on Tastykakes and many adults have wild stories about Victory’s 9.5% ABV Monkey series of beers (mine involves Sour Monkey and a Neil Diamond concert), it felt like an impeccable start to the new year. The fact that Victory’s Center City tap room is located at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway only solidified my Philly decision-making.

In full disclosure, I’m no beer aficionado. I tend towards sours and away from anything super hoppy, but I really enjoyed my draft of the Koffee Kake Ale, which comes in at 6% ABV. It had strong notes of cinnamon, a slight sweetness, a touch of bitterness, and a golden hue.

I brought two types of Tastykakes to pair with it — a Koffee Kake Junior and creme-filled Koffee Kake cupcakes. I’m gonna be honest, neither went great with it. Beer and sweets have never mixed well for me, and the sweetness of the real Tastykakes made the beer seem more bitter.

But did that stop me from eating the Tastykakes and drinking the beer? No, no it did not, and if I had to choose one, I’d go with the creme-filled cupcakes every time.

Victory officially released the Tastykake beer at its taprooms in Downingtown, Center City, Parkesburg, and Kennett Square in late December and six-packs should hit the shelves at major beer distributors “any day,” Victory brand manager Kelly Irvine said via email.

The limited-release collaboration will run through March, or while supplies last. Previous Victory collaborations include Summer Love with Visit Philadelphia and Java Cask with One Village Coffee.

“With a lot of change in the world right now, pride of place remains constant and brings comfort. When drinkers are shopping for products, there’s always an associated risk in trying something new versus staying with something steady and safe like our Monkey family or Brotherly Love,” Irvine said. “To bring even more confidence to our newest product than already would exist, partnering with someone who was well known and well loved by our local fan base like Tastykake was important.”

Indeed, few brands are as beloved as Tastykake in the Philly region. A reader once told me she buried her mother with Tastykakes in her casket; Philly apparel company South Fellini makes a popular “Tastyjawn” shirt; and July 7 is “National Krimpet Day.”

Speaking of Krimpets, as a devout Butterscotch Krimpet fan I had to ask: Could we see more collaborations between Victory and Tastykake in the future? Is this the start of something brewtiful?

“It’s been so well received and requests for different flavors have already been pouring in,” Irvine said. “No talks of a future collaboration just yet though who knows what could exist down the road!”

Collaborations between local breweries and iconic local brands have been happening for years and the trend shows no sign of stopping. Wawa and 2SP have partnered on coffee stouts and a shandy, and Neshaminy Creek and Rita’s Italian Ice introduced a line of fruit brews last year.

What possibilities might the future hold for Philly-food-themed beers? Could we see a Goldenberg’s Peanut Chew stout or a Philly Pretzel Factory pilsner? One can only hops. It’s the yeast local brewers could do.