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Beer at the Acme

The selection of 400 labels at a South Philadelphia store rivals those of bottle shops that have sprung up to meet a rising demand for craft beer. It is also comparable to the beer departments of many suburban supermarkets, such as Whole Foods and Wegmans, which have sold beer for several years.

Go into any supermarket in most big cities and buy a six-pack of beer. No big deal.

And now, as 2014 winds down, this simple feat can be accomplished in Philadelphia, now that the Acme Market at 19th Street and Oregon Avenue has installed a beer shop and cafe in the front of the store.

The selection of 400 labels rivals those of bottle shops that have sprung up to meet a rising demand for craft beer. It is also comparable to the beer departments of many suburban supermarkets, such as Whole Foods and Wegmans, which have sold beer for several years.

The city, underserved by supermarkets anyway, is a different story.

City supermarkets typically are smaller, and beer sales do require space. State law mandates a sit-down cafe with at least 30 seats and tables, and this area must be separated from the store. Shoppers also must pay for beer at a separate cash register. You can buy two six-packs a once.

The South Philadelphia store, whose beer department opened this month, slid its customer-service counter and cart storage area to another part of the store.

The Frosted Mug Café is next to a hot buffet (wings on game days) and grab-and-go cases containing sandwiches and other easy-to-eat foods. There also is a double-sided refrigerated case and additional shelves of six-packs; customers also can mix or match bottles to create their own six-pack for $11.99. Next to the seating area, which has four TV sets, there is a reach-in refrigerator that holds glassware for those who eat in. Hence, the Frosted Mug name.

Acme president Jim Perkins, who stopped at the store last week, said the devotion of so much floor space to beer made sense. Beer, he said, carries a markup of 20 percent to 25 percent, similar to the grocery category. "It's also the convenience," he said. (If Pennsylvania law were to allow wine and spirits to be sold in supermarkets, he said, "We'd go tomorrow.") Tailgaters for Eagles games have discovered it.

Acme has a similar department at its store in Flourtown and is planning others in Northeast Philadelphia, Bala Cynwyd, Concordville, Devon, and Granite Run.

Next up in South Philadelphia, Acme is looking into adding a growler station.