After seeing the wild success of Fattey Beer’s operation downtown through COVID and into this summer, it’s no surprise that more options like it would follow. The Beer Keep will expand upon that kind of service, bringing in a chef, an expansive menu, and totally new customer interface. Opening in late August at 1002 Elmwood Ave between Breezy Burrito and Jack Rabbit, The Beer Keep is turning that corner of Elmwood and Potomac into one of the most lively in the city.
Developed by Cory Muscato, Aaron Ketry, Patrick Galante, and Breezy Burrito Bar founders Briana and Daniel Hunter, the opening comes after months of renovations to the former Ashkers Juice Bar location and paves the way for “the beer to be front and center” for guests of the new establishment.
According to their team:
At The Beer Keep, guests will be able to choose from a vast selection of beers to enjoy on-site or to-go – everything from special releases to easy-sipping mainstays. The team plans to excite Buffalo-area beer geeks by offering hard-to-find brands on the bar’s 10 tap draft system and in multiple “trophy case” reach in coolers.
Beyond beer, the beverage program will showcase an all-natural wine list, an impressive array of craft and familiar seltzers, along with a significant amount of non-alcoholic offerings.
While a majority of the products available will be from outside of the Western New York region, the team at The Beer Keep will work with the Western New York brewing community to showcase the absolute best the area has to offer in fun and unexpected ways.
“When opening a business, you have a chance to plant your flags and show what’s important to you,” said Cory Muscato, The Beer Keep’s Director of Operations. “Our mission is to make sure that beer is nothing short of exciting for our guests. And not just some beer, ALL beer. We’re excited to invite Buffalo’s beer-loving community to dig through hundreds of beers in our coolers or enjoy a draft from one of two Czech-style side-pull taps and learn what makes them so special”
The Beer Keep’s operation will also include a small but dynamic food program led by well-known Buffalo chef Will Petersen. The menu will feature familiar favorites and forgotten hits, but there’s a twist: every item on the menu will have a vegan counterpart.
The space itself has been completely reimagined and renovated. The Beer Keep features two distinctive areas for seating, a grab-and-go beverage section, and an improved outdoor patio overlooking Bidwell Park. The team foresees the business adding a distinctive dimension to the burgeoning Elmwood Village bar and restaurant scene, and plans to regularly host events and unique programming welcome to all.
“Communities thrive when small businesses succeed,” says Briana Hunter, partner at The Beer Keep and owner/operator of neighboring Breezy Burrito Bar. “We are thrilled to open and share our concept with our neighbors in the Elmwood Village community and all of Western New York.”
