A Plymouth Township native has spent more than three decades turning his family's East Norriton bottle shop into one of Pennsylvania's top craft beer destinations, but these days the biggest competition on his shelves isn't another brewery.

Matthew Capone, a 1990 Plymouth Whitemarsh High School graduate, runs Capone's Bottle Shop at 224 W. Germantown Pike, a compact retail space tucked behind Capone's Restaurant and Bar. His father, Andy Capone Sr., founded the restaurant in 1974, making the family business 52 years old. After graduating from PW, Matt Capone began expanding what had been a standard package store into a specialty craft beer operation, as he told Mainline Media News in a feature published Saturday. He started with a Chimay from Belgium and a stout from Stoudt's Brewing Co. in Adamstown, Pennsylvania.

"People started to hear about us, and it just kind of kept growing from there," Capone said.

The gamble paid off. The shop now carries hundreds of artisan and rare vintage labels sourced from the U.S. and abroad, including Mexico, Italy, Norway, England, the Czech Republic and Japan. It boasts one of the largest selections of individual bottles of microbrew and craft beer in Pennsylvania, according to the business's website, and has drawn recognition from platforms including BeerAdvocate, RateBeer, Philly Beer Scene and Untappd.

IPAs remain the shop's top sellers. Capone said the hottest beer on his shelves right now comes from Lolev, a Pittsburgh brewery in the Lawrenceville neighborhood that opened in December 2022 and specializes in the style. Goose Island Bourbon County barrel-aged stout is another consistent mover.

But a newer category is reshaping what Capone stocks. Canned ready-to-drink cocktails now outsell wine at the shop and are cutting into beer sales overall, he said. The top seller is Super Lyte from Philadelphia-based Stateside Brands, a vodka-based drink with a sugar-free fruit base that launched Tuesday, March 10, at 4.5% ABV and 90 calories per can. It debuted publicly at Citizens Bank Park on Phillies Opening Day, March 26.

Capone said calorie-consciousness and convenience drive the trend. Most cans clock in at 100 calories or less, and buyers skip the mixing entirely. He noted that while craft beer remains strong, the popularity of seasonal beers has declined as canned cocktails gain ground.

The restaurant side of the business, run by Matt's brother Andy Capone Jr. and sister-in-law Angela Capone, keeps 30 beers on tap. Matt Capone described himself not as an expert but as "a student of craft beer" who is constantly learning.

Capone's Bottle Shop is open daily at 224 W. Germantown Pike. Customers can call (610) 279-4748 or visit capones-pa.com.