Made up of two parts, Now and Later offers the Syracuse community a way to sip and shop. In one part of the store is its tap room, and the other includes a wall of coolers with more than 350 single bottled beers lining the shelves, a walk-in set of large format bottles and another cooler of about 80 drinks.

The local rustic bottle shop and beer-tasting bar serves both craft and draft beers served from a cask or keg, seasonals brewed during or for a season or holiday period and one-time specialties. Co-owned by Jason Purdy and Sarah Norcross, the store sits on the corner of Avery Avenue and Ulster Street in the Tipperary Hill neighborhood.

The shop, which opened on Christmas Eve 2015, sources its hard-to-find craft beers from regional breweries and has about 30 kinds of seasonals and more than 500 varieties of beers in the store. Norcross said the store selects beers by what is available geographically and what the customers look for.

Some of the brews offered on Now and Later’s winter list include Great Lakes Brewing Christmas Ale, Bell’s Brewery’s Winter White Ale and Saranac Brewery’s Big Moose Winter Ale. The varieties are mostly priced between $4-$6 per bottle in the tap room, but Now and Later also serves pricier selections such as Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout and beers of the style Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stouts, which generally fall between $10-$30.

“Over the summer, people tend to drink lighter, crisper, fruitier beers like Shandy, or some fruited wheat beers,” Purdy said. “…And then in the colder months, people tend to drink darker beers that are a little more party and filling, and almost trying to warm you up even though they’re cold.”

The common cold-weather beers include ales, India Pale Ales, lagers, stouts and porters. They’re usually brewed with traditional holiday spices and have a darker color from coffee or chocolate, said Purdy and Scott Jackson, who has been bartending for Now and Later since its opening.

Jackson said he frequently directs customers to varieties of holiday beers depending on their preference or what they’re used to drinking.

“If somebody came in and wanted a little bit of nutmeg flavor, or cinnamon, I would direct them toward Southern Tier 2XMAS,” Jackson said, explaining that the beer is a spiced double ale brewed with orange peels, fig paste, ginger root and cinnamon.

The store gets craft beers from the Founders Brewing Co. and Bell’s Brewery, Inc. in Michigan from New York state distributors licensed to sell certain out-of-state drinks. The store also buys beers in kegs when smaller local breweries lack wholesale representation and packaging for their drinks, Norcross said.
Many customers hang out on the bar side of the store, but also wander to the store side and buy beers to take home, Purdy said.

Now and Later recently had a “Battle of the Imperials” event that featured 10 new imperials — stronger, hoppier beer with higher alcohol content and more malts — on draft. Each was crafted by a different local brewery. The store will hold its two-year anniversary party on Dec. 23.

Jackson said the clientele has grown more knowledgeable of Now and Later and its offerings over the years.

“It’s not like your average bar,” Jackson said. “People know that this place sells quality, really good beer.”

Published on December 7, 2017 at 12:20 am

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