'Beer didn’t used to be like this'

By Anya Tikka
MILFORD — Since Mike Edelstein opened his first specialty beer store, Ice Cold Beer Here, in Milford a couple of years ago, it's become so successful, he’s opened his second store. It's named, simply, Ice Cold Beer Here II, at the Milford Landing, known by many as Staples Plaza. Both stores specialize in microbrewery, or craft beer, a very hot trend right now.

“Craft beer is really what’s taking over, the real reason why we’re expanding," said Edelstein, sitting at the table at the back of his new store. "It’s the biggest thing now."

The shop also has a café and beer store license. Customers can stop by for a sandwich and drink.

“We make our sandwiches, using Boar’s Head meats and Dietz and Watson cold cuts," he said.

Craft beer has become so desirable, that customers who might pick up a bottle of wine when heading out to a dinner party will now pick up a bottle of flavored craft beer — which can come with a hefty price tag of $25.

But not all craft beers are that expensive, said Edelstein. You can get a six pack of craft beer at the store for $6.99, he said.

The new craft beers come in all kinds of flavors, the result of being brewed in old bourbon or other barrels. Today’s microbrewers go around buying up used barrels, filling them with their beer, then leaving them for months. The beer eventually takes on the flavor of the barrel. The resulting beer is higher in alcohol, ranging from 5 percent to more than 10 percent, taking its higher alcohol content from the original liquor. Regular beer is between 3 percent to 5 percent alcohol, said Edelstein.

“We want people to know we carry over a 1,000 different domestic beers, imported, and micro brewed beers," he said. "We have many from the local Pennsylvania microbreweries, and also from the nearby New York and New Jersey breweries."

The store also carries regular domestic beers like Budweiser, Coors and Yuengling, plus a wide variety of imported beers, including beers from China, Japan, India, Germany, Italy, Czech Republic, Poland, Russia, and France, and high-end Belgian beer.

The field has become so fiercely competitive, you can only get certain beers in certain states, Edelstein said.

“Beer didn’t used to be like this,” he mused.

Opportunity beckonsEdelstein used to work as a manager for the New Jersey wholesaler Bottle King. When he visited the Milford area, he realized there was nowhere to buy craft beer. He decided to open his first store.

“I see a lot of people come in, and when they see it, they want to try it,” Edelstein said.

He’s made it easy. For $10.99, you can fill your own mix-and-match six-pack of beer, out of a selection of 120 beers.

“Any time you come in, there are new beers,” he said. “There’s always going to be a new thing.”

Craft beer six packs with one beer range from $6.99 to $24.99. A six pack of Budweiser is $6.49.

Ice Cold Beer Here II also sells a wide selection of single beers, soft drinks, wine coolers, and in the plans are "growlers to go." Growlers are glass, ceramic, or stainless steel mugs meant for take-outs, and even for collecting.

“We’re going to have eight different taps behind the counter," said Edelstein. "We’ll sell draft beer in glass jugs, or growlers."

Edelstein employs six part -timers in the new store, and 10 in the "old" store. The store at 102 Milford Landing Drive is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and from noon to 8 p.m. on Sunday.

For more information call 570-4991-5500 or visit craftbeerstoremilford.com.