Credit: Beer Fridge.
A new craft beer store is coming to the Lower East Side: Beer Fridge, at 41 Essex St., is currently in soft launch, with the official opening “hopefully sometime in the next few weeks,” according to owner Cat DiPaci.
“We’re working out the kinks,” she added. DiPaci, 26, is a first-time entrepreneur. In terms of industry qualifications, “I’m a very avid beer drinker,” she said.
Beer Fridge will focus on locally produced and limited-run microbrews, and DiPaci plans various partnerships with local breweries.
Roughly half the storefront’s space is dedicated to refrigerated beer, said DiPaci, and the other half to shelved cans and bottles. There are also four tap-lines in the back for filling growlers. “And you’re welcome to taste whatever you’d like,” she adds.
DiPaci recognizes that the world of craft beer can be somewhat intimidating to the uninitiated and wants the store to be a “really exciting” place to learn and explore. “It is a lot to take in, when you go in to a craft beer store — so we want to make it a really welcoming experience.”
Like the date of official opening, the store’s hours are still “to be determined,” but will likely be around noon to 11pm, seven days a week.