BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — A boutique Bedford-Stuyvesant wine shop is expanding its wares with a new craft beer store and bar next month.
The owners of Bed-Vyne Wine at Putnam and Tompkins Avenues will open Bed-Vyne Brew in June, owner Ayo Akinnuoye said. The 370 Tompkins Ave. storefront will serve craft beer off the shelves, as well as growlers to go and pints to stay.
"We thought it would be a nice thing for the neighborhood," Akinnuoye said. "We have a pretty good following with the wine shop, and we think it's going to expand that."
The owners — Akinnuoye and his brother Rotimi, along with partners Michael Brooks and Peter Medford — enlisted the help of contractor Jonn Carlson, who designed the space from what Carlson called a "sheetrock box."
Carlson said he strove to create a "cozy" feel for the 800-square-foot bar, giving customers the feel of a tavern first and a store second.
"We're trying to do a new concept no one else has done," Carlson said. "This is a bar you can drink beer in, then you can purchase the beer and take it out the door."
The space includes a large, copper-coated walk-in refrigerator where kegs will be kept, and 10 taps on the wall. The bar and floors were created from reclaimed wood, as is the furniture. There will also be a front deck where people can sit and enjoy a drink.
Besides craft beer, the store will feature cheese and charcuterie which patrons can buy and eat at their own table with a cutting board, as well as featured wines from the shop next door.
The owners said they hope their new space can help evolve the craft beer model in New York.
"The craft beer movement's been growing on the East Coast for the last 10 years," Brooks said.
"We're trying to do a new concept no one else has done, where you have a retail craft beer store that looks and feels like a tavern."
