I never would have even known about this store had I not seen a big "Like Good Beer?" sign whilst driving back to Syracuse from Ithaca. The front of the store is all coffee, with fancy porcelain cups, as well as to-go paper containers. I got my coffee very fast and the baristas were friendly. In the back is both a coffee lounge-type area, as well as shelves of beer. It’s as if they had extra shelf space and just threw some coffee on there. They had about 5-6 taps in the back too. Lots of big beers (some VERY big), six packs and some singles too. It’s a great second place to visit after you’ve hit Finger Lakes Beverage down the road.

Odd duck of a store. Front half is a straight up coffee shop. The back half feels like a bar. The craft beer is off to the side. They had a nice selection of craft beer from all the usual suspects: dfh, ommegang, Troegs, southern tier. But I was expecting more local and regional stuff. The prices seemed reasonable. There are certainly worst beer stores out there.

The Ithaca Coffee Co. near the Pyramid Mall has started selling beer in the back corner of the store. Selection is fairly static- they rotate some seasonals in, but nothing too exciting. Have a selection of not so great European beers (Guinness, Peroni, Fosters), Mexican beers, and some of the better ones- Chimay Bleu comes to mind. The rest of the selection is fairly standard stuff- DFH, Victory, Smuttynose, Lagunitas, etc... Also a selection of local stuff like Wagner’s and Ithaca. 6 rotating taps to fill growlers (which they also sell), a rack of bombers from Ommegang and the like, and a cooler with mostly the same stuff you see on the shelves. If you’re in downtown Ithaca, don’t bother making it up the hill- Finger Lakes Beverage Center has this place trumped with 1 of its plethora of aisles.

While beer is not the main reason to go to the Ithaca Coffee Company, it sure is a good one! There is a wide variety of local NY state breweries, a great selection of other domestic beers, as well as an everchanging selection of imports. They also fill growlers with local and great domestic micro brews. New to the store is a seasonal rack which keeps customers in the mix on what’s appropriate for the time of year. Staff is friendly and knowledgable. Also relatively new is the "tavern" at their downtown location, which you can relax and drink a pint or have a bottle of your favorite beer. All in all the selection is great and the atmosphere is very friendly. Definitely worth checking out and not only for the beer!

Outside the city center, near the main mall drag to the north of the city. Two entrances to this store - one takes you to beer and gourmet food, the other into specifically wine. Selection is significant but pales in comparison to Finger Lakes. Decent selection of American micros, some really random English bottled bitters and stouts, and a lackluster Belgium contingent. Occasionally the shelves are packed full but too often you’ll find them in worse condition, almost stripped bare. Plenty of beer (mostly duplicates, but some not - so check it out) in the walk-in cooler. Growler fills here usually represent a more local flavor than at Finger Lakes, with Ithaca Brewing and Middle Ages out of Syracuse making regular appearances. Occasional tastings and meet-and-drinks with the brewers of the aforementioned. As mentioned, the beer is only in a corner of this store, as it mainly comprises of gourmet cheeses, coffee, confections, as well as some kitchen supplies. Staff is friendly and very willing to give unsolicited beer advice - nice when they know what they’re talking about, a little annoying when I’m made to listen to a diatribe on imperial IPA’s when I just would like to buy my beer and go, thankyouverymuch. All told, a nice place - but if you’re in Ithaca and can only go to one beer store, make it Finger Lakes.