NEW YORK - Customers walking into the new Duane Reade store in Brooklyn can pick up prescriptions as well as a growler of freshly poured beer from a nine-tap beer bar, the New York Times reports. The bar fills reusable glass bottles and offers tastings, but does not serve drinks.

"We knew we would have a little bit of a battle to try to bring Duane Reade into this community, because they really don??t like a chain store," said Paul Tiberio, senior vice president for merchandising and marketing at the company. The beer bar is part of the pharmacy chain??s initiative to fit into each specific neighborhood.

For instance, some Manhattan Duane Reades sell cut flowers and sold fresh-baked pies during the holidays. Bronx locations stock a wide selection of Goya products, while Harlem and Bronx stores have a large area of African-American hair products. Stores close to the Port Authority Bus Terminal and Penn Station offer sandwiches and other lunch meals.

"With each of our newer stores, we??re trying to find what works in our community," said Tiberio. For the new Brooklyn store, "this was an area that was devoid of opportunities for beer."

Walgreens purchased Duane Reade last year and has begun to differentiate stores based on their location. Neil Powell, chief creative officer with Beattie McGuinness Bungay New York, said such a move is smart for a large chain. "Doing something like this is unexpected and breathes a little bit of life into the company and makes you go, 'Hmm, that??s different, that??s kind of cool,??" he said.