By Della Hasselle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
EAST VILLAGE — A new craft beer shop and snack bar is soaking in its success after receiving rave reviews and an endless stream of patrons at its East Village location since its Saturday opening.
"We have been rushed," said David Cichowicz, the owner of Good Beer NYC. "We have been absolutely busted every single night. It's great."
Customers love that the alehouse, located on 422 E. 9th St. between First Avenue and Avenue A, doubles as a take-out beer shop and beer-tasting bar, Cichowitz said, adding that his is the only place in Manhattan that does both. He aims to eventually serve 900 craft beers.
The store was so crowded at Saturday's opening that beer enthusiasts were turned away at the door because they couldn't fit inside, he said. By Tuesday, the store had already sold out of several stocks and had sold over 150 growlers — take-away glass containers that carry up to a half-gallon of beer.
Cichowicz said the key to his store's immediate success is its unique focus.
Customers can sample flights of the 450 beers currently in stock, 75 percent of which are domestic craft brews organized by region. Although most of the selection is from the Northwest, the alehouse also carries specialty brews like a German bacon-flavored beer and Guava grove beer, from Tampa's Cigar City Brewery.
"You can sample it and then take it home, it's great," Westchester-based customer Joy Schumacer said of the beer shop, which also has tables in the back and serves snacks like charcuterie and cheese.
"I've never seen anything like it — it's incredible," she added. "If I lived in Manhattan, I'd be here all the time."
Chichowicz, a former East Village resident, said that he wanted to cater to the local community, adding that a lot of craft beer enthusiasts live in the Lower East Side and East Village.
His success, however, also had to do with the amount of online attention the place has received, he said, a theory backed up by the explosion of Twitter reviews online.
"New AMAZING beer shop around the corner. Would I like to try some Hop Rod Rye? Of Course!" Twitter user magicmonkeymuse Tweeted Tuesday.
"Holy crap this place just opened and is insane," anthonycarafo Tweeted. "Beer as far as the eye can see."
The most attractive thing about it, one online user mused, is that there's something for everyone.
"The name says it all...GOOD BEER!" RheaRecommends Tweeted Tuesday.
