BEER AND MORE
Eclectic new downtown business set to open
TROY, N.Y.>> A eclectic new business is coming soon to downtown Troy.
Elixir 16 will be a bottled beer emporium, tap room and curiosity shop — all in one space — at 45 2nd St., owned and operated by Cohoes native Megan Reavey.
Reavey and her boyfriend, David Linen of Collar City Renovations, bought the fiveunit Victorian rowhouse last year and decided to open some kind of shop on the first floor. Reavey thought a grab-and-go beer store would fill a need in the community, but she said she was also intrigued by the beer store/taproom business model she saw elsewhere in the country and decided to bring it to Troy. A retail side of the business will also help customers with their at-home entertainment, to compliment the craft beer to go.
In learning about the history of the late 1800s building, Reavey found the first- f loor space served as a doctor’s office for a century. Over the past The decor - even the name - of Elixir 16will pay homage to the doctor’s office that had previously occupied the 2nd Avenue space in downtown Troy for a century.
several months, the Collar City Renovations team has been busy transforming the storefront from a dated doctor’s office to a fun and eclectic space that will soon be open to the public.
In doing so, they discovered an assortment of old medical tools and equipment — from eye exam charts to antique doctors chairs — Reavey plans to incorporate into the new business.
“I grew up with antique-collecting parents with a passion for historical restoration, which I inherited,” Reavey said. “Therefore, it is important to me to honor the building’s history, so we did everything we could to bring it back to its original splendor, peeling off layers of floors and walls and finding many interesting artifacts in the process, all which will be displayed in the shop.”
Those objects influenced the title and theme of the business, she said.
“It was the building’s history as a doctor’s office that inspired the name, Elixir 16, as a nod to the elixirs that doctors prescribed around the turn of the last century, the magical potions often promising to induce love, eternal life and to turn metals into gold,” Reavey explained. “At Elixir 16, we may not be able to offer you eternal life, but we can pour you a cold craft beer in a 16- ounce pint glass, a magical potion in its own right.”
Elixir 16 is expected to have a soft opening later this month, in time for Troy’s popular annual Hidden Garden Tour on May 25 and Troy Night Out on May 26, followed by a grand opening and ribbon cutting in June. Once open, a rotating variety of craft beer will be available for purchase, as well as assorted merchandise for entertaining at home.
At the bar, Elixir 16 will serve craft beer and prosecco by the glass, along with different types of dumplings imported from Brooklyn. Outdoor seating will be available, as well.
“I hope to create a warm and welcoming space that inspires creativity, witty banter, intellectual stimulation, laughter and fun,” Reavey explained, “a gathering place where eclectic groups of people can slow down for while, enjoy real human interaction and simply celebrate life.”
Reavey is also excited for Elixir 16 to be a part of the downtown business community.
“I am absolutely loving downtown Troy and the incredible renaissance that is happening here right now,” she said. “The energy is invigorating, and I feel blessed to be a part of it.”
When Elixir 16 officially opens its doors, its hours will be noon to 9 p. m. Wednesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays, with extended hours for Troy Night Out. Happy hour specials will be offered daily.
Reavey is already planning a full schedule of events, including movie sscreenings, live music, craft activities and pierogi nights.
Additionally, each Troy Night Out guest will be able to sip craft beer while perusing antiques at a Drunk on Junk a mini-flea market in the store.
For more information on Elixir 16, visit its Facebook page at www. facebook.com/Elixir16Troy.