Beer Briefs: New 250th Anniversary Beer / Washington State Brewers Face “Bad February”

American Craft Beer|February 9th, 2026|

The beer biz never sleeps at American Craft Beer. And here’s just some of what’s been happening in the beer world while you were enjoying a Super Bowl weekend.

New 250^th Anniversary Beer

On February 5^th Visit Philadelphia, the region’s official tourism marketing agency, and Downingtown PA headquartered Victory Brewing announced plans for “Philly First”, a patriotic limited release beer celebrating America’s 250th anniversary as well as all the amazing firsts that happened in Philadelphia.

Here are just some of the amazing “firsts” that Philadelphia lays claim to…and they’re all pretty remarkable…

First National Capital: Philadelphia served as the meeting place for the 1st Continental Congress in 1774 and was the nation’s multi-year capital from 1790 to 1800.

Birth of Founding Documents: It is the only city where both the Declaration of Independence (1776) and the U.S. Constitution (1787) were debated and signed.

First U.S. Mint: Established in 1792, it was the first federal building constructed under the Constitution.

First Planned City: Founded in 1682 by William Penn, it was the first city in North America designed on a grid system with dedicated public squares.

Military Birthplace: The city is the birthplace of the U.S. Army (1775), U.S. Navy, and U.S. Marine Corps (1775).

First Hospital in America: Pennsylvania Hospital was co-founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1751.

First Electronic Computer: The ENIAC, the world’s first general-purpose electronic digital computer, was built at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946.

First Botanical Garden: Bartram’s Garden, established in 1728, is the oldest in North America.

First Zoo in America: The Philadelphia Zoo opened its gates in 1874.

First Thanksgiving Day Parade: Started in 1920, it is the oldest such parade in the United States.

First Subscription Library: Benjamin Franklin founded the Library Company of Philadelphia in 1731.

Famous Inventions: Philadelphia is credited with the first ice cream soda (1874), the Slinky (1943), the pencil with an attached eraser (1858), and the first public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932).

First World’s Fair: Hosted the Centennial Exposition in 1876, the first official World’s Fair on American soil

Kinda worth celebrating, no? And so is the beer..

Patriotically crafted using with Pilsner, Vienna, and Wheat malts, and Simcoe, Strata, and Amarillo hops, Visit Philadelphia + Victory Brewing Philly First is a crisp and easy-drinking 4.8% ABV Anniversary Al that celebrates the Nation’s 250^th anniversary as well as both organizations’ impressive 30 year run.

On Sunday, February 15, in honor of 215 Day across Philadelphia – the homegrown holiday that marks the city’s first and oldest area code – Victory will host a “First Pour” event at their multi-level downtown taproom, located at 1776 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Words to Drink By

“When I look back at my life, I feel pain not because of suffering, but because of wasted time.”– Fyodor Dostoevsky, Russian philosopher, novelist, short story writer, essayist and journalist.

Washington State Brewers Face “Bad February”

Dry January tends to steal the spotlight, but for many breweries, February isn’t much better. In fact, Washington’s craft brewers say winter as a whole has become one of the toughest stretches of the year.

“January may be dry, but February is frigid,” said Daniel Olson, executive director of the Washington Brewers Guild. “Sales drop in both months, and it’s incredibly hard for breweries to get through the winter.”

Brewers used to expect a seasonal slowdown, Olson said, but that pattern has changed. Even when the weather warms up, customers aren’t returning in the same numbers they did before the pandemic. The result has been a wave of closures across the state, affecting breweries, taprooms, and brewpubs alike.

National data backs that up. The Brewers Association reports that nearly half of U.S. breweries see their slowest sales in either January or February. When November and December are added to the mix, about two-thirds of breweries experience their worst month sometime between late fall and the end of winter. Things typically don’t begin to rebound until March, often thanks to St. Patrick’s Day.

In 2025 alone, the Brewers Association recorded 268 new brewery openings nationwide — but 434 closures. In Washington, nearly 30 breweries, taprooms, and brewpubs have shut their doors over the past couple of years. Craft beer sales have also been sliding: down 5% nationally in 2025, following declines in 2024 and 2023. Washington-made beer has been hit even harder, with steeper drops over the past two years.

Layer on inflation, tariffs, supply chain headaches, staffing shortages, and fewer people drinking overall, and the pressure on brewers is unlike anything they’ve faced in generations.

To keep their doors open and continue supporting local jobs and communities, Washington’s brewers are asking drinkers to show up this winter. “If people don’t come out now, their favorite spot might not be around by summer,” Olson added. “These are the places where you celebrated your 21st birthday or went on a first date with the person who’s now your spouse. Let’s not let them disappear.”

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