Gerard Leary has run two very different concepts in two very different parts of NYC.
On one hand there's One Mile House, an awesome (but now closed) bar/restaurant with a ton of top-level taps in bustling downtown Manhattan. On the other hand is his current venture, a small neighborhood spot in Sunnyside, Queens called Sweet Avenue.
Gerard used Covid as an opportunity to take a step back and re-evaluate: did he want to keep up the same kind of life he had before, which included a commute over an hour to his bar in Manhattan? Did he have to keep that pedal way down to the metal?
Or was there a way he could pair his love of craft beer and the industry with a life actually lived in his home neighborhood? Could he open up an awesome bottle shop in walking distance from his home (and family) that allowed him to spend more time with his family and his neighbors?