The idea to open a tavern inside Lucas Candies, a store that has lived on Haverstraw’s Main Street since 1896, came from one of the shop’s best-selling products: Eat Your Beer brittle. Owner Nick Loucas—whose great-great uncle, Constantine, co-founded the shop and dropped the o in the family surname—makes the popular confection with his business partner Debbie Bertrand, by mixing craft beer into Constantine’s original peanut brittle recipe.
“We realized that the selection of beers we have in our cooler for the brittle is better than what any of the area bars offer,” says Bertrand, who, with Loucas, was also looking for a way to expand the business from seasonal (they were typically open for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter) to year-round. “We definitely have a knack for pairing, so we thought, ‘What if we open a bar and pair our chocolates with beer and wine?’”
That “what if” soon turned into a full-scale renovation that involved turning one half of the shop into a tasting room, complete with a bar made of mahogany from their original candy counter. Customers can order from a selection of eight mostly local beers (from brewers such as Frog Alley, Stony Point Brewing Co., Wicked Weed, and Catskill Brewery, whose chocolate stout uses the same cacao nib that Loucas’ ancestors began sourcing in the 1890s) and eight wine varietals. Each drink comes with a complimentary chocolate that is designed to enhance the nuances of what’s in your glass. (Flights are also available.)
The process goes like this: Take two sips of your drink, then a bite of candy, then sip your drink again. “People don’t always think of chocolate and beer together, but it works surprisingly well,” says Loucas, who counts coating beef jerky in dark chocolate and serving it with a saison as their most surprising—and delicious—combination. “The cocoa butter coats your palette and changes the flavor of what you’re drinking.”
Coming up with the pairings is admittedly a lot of trial and error, says Loucas and Bertrand (note: white chocolate and citrus do not go well together), but also the most fun part of their job. And they want customers to experience the whimsy of hanging out in an old-fashioned candy store, too: A large wooden Connect 4 sits atop one of the tavern tables and there are several board games for families to play. In December, customers were able to watch them make their gigantic signature candy canes by hand, and there’s often live music and themed events on weekends featuring local acts like Nick DiBari, Dan Barrios, and GKV. The tavern is also available for private events.
And of course, since this is, first and foremost, a candy store, a variety of their most popular sweets—such as their nationally recognized PMS bars of peanut butter, milk chocolate, and salted potato chips—bulk chocolate, truffles, and more are available for purchase, as well as savory bites like pretzels, warm pecans, and charcuterie to counteract the sugar rush. The tavern has been open since May, and the concept of cacao and craft beer is slowly catching on. “It’s so fun to watch people do a tasting for the first time and they’re amazed when they can taste a specific flavor,” says Bertrand. “We want people to have a unique experience.” And satisfy their sweet tooth in the process.
Lucas Candies
6 Main St, Haverstraw
845.947.1220
Website
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