Hello, I am looking for a good bottle shop that let's you buy singles near U of Syracuse (NY). I will be staying at the Sheraton near the university. Also, if you anyone can suggest a great craft beer bar near by that would be awesome. R/S Bill
The answer to both questions is Now & Later. Pretty much the only game in town but honestly one of the best bar/bottle shop combinations I have ever been to. I was there last week and walked into a cooler full of Other Half & Equillibrum cases of beers to go as well as a stellar tap list if you want to hang out. It's a 10-15 minute ride from campus but well worth it. https://www.nowandlaterbar.com/#/
Yeah Now & Later is really the only option. Blue Tusk used to be the premier craft bar, and they'll still always have some real solid stuff on (and good food), but N&L is a stellar establishment.
Thanks for the input. I am shocked that there is only one bottle shop in a town the size of Syracuse and two bars that have a good beer selection. I assumed that the cities up north would be chock full of joints.
It's not that it's the only bottle shop, it's that it's the only good one. If you leave the city proper and head to the 'Burbs, there's a great shop in Camillus called (I think) Branching Out that's worth going to. Lots of new stock in all the time and a growler station. 'Cuse in general lags FAR behind Albany, Buffalo, Poughkeepsie and Rochester when it comes to the beer scene. AB-InBev has had a death grip on the city for years that made it very difficult for any craft to push in. There's a couple very good breweries there now (Buried Acorn and Talking Cursive) with some others on the way, but it's a pretty embarrassing situation beer bar/bottle shop-wise when compared with Rochester an hour down the road.
I used to be a big Middle Ages fan when they used to distribute to MA. They don’t really seem to be all that well-regarded anymore, though. I personally would definitely check them out for nostalgia reasons alone, if I happened to be up in Syracuse. Have fun!
MA has pivoted from predominantly English-style ales to fruited sours and NEIPAs and, frankly, they don't do it all that well. They're not horrible by any means but I would 100% recommend doing Buried Acorn and/or Talking Cursive instead if you're in that area of 'Cuse.
