Craft Beer Cellar: Heaven on Earth

While visiting Massachusetts in April, I was snooping around online to see if there were any decent local stores selling craft beer. There was one packy in my home town that had a decent 6 pack selection and a small shelving unit of bombers, but it still left a lot to be desired. Surprisingly, the local Whole Foods ended up having one of the better selections, but the staff wasn't very helpful and it just felt out of place. If only there was a store that carried all of the finest craft brews available in the area... I came across a store on Google and Yelp that sounded like the exact place that I, and every other beer nerd in the nation, was looking for, the Craft Beer Cellar in Belmont, Massachusetts.

From the moment I walked through the front door of the Craft Beer Cellar, I was overwhelmed. This is what I have been waiting so long to find in a retail beer store: craft beer, and only craft beer...everywhere. When you first walk into the stylish, dark-wood paneled store, you are greeted by an impressive selection of domestic craft brews at room temperature on one side and refrigerated options on the other side. Various brewery-specific stands are strategically placed on the floor showcasing special offerings from some of the greats, like Allagash, Dogfish Head, and Brooklyn. Towards the back is a most impressive selections of imports. Because my mission while home was to drink strictly New England brews, I didn't spend much time back there, which I now regret. If the selection is not enough to get you drooling, the owners encourage you to pull singles and build your own 6 pack(s) at very reasonable prices. If this store is not beer heaven on earth, then I don't know what is. In all they offer over 1,000 types of craft beer with seasonal and rare offerings rotating in when available.

Undoubtedly, the Craft Beer Cellar has the most impressive selection of craft beer I have ever seen in one place, but this was not the best part of my new favorite store. What got me driving a half hour back to Belmont for a second time was the quality of customer service I experienced during my first visit. Owner's and fellow beer nerds, Suzanne Schalow and Kate Baker, really elevated my experience at the Craft Beer Cellar from being simply a trip to buy beer into what felt more like a friendly conversation between beer enthusiasts that you might have at a pub. When I mentioned to Suzanne and Kate that I was trying to explore New England breweries while I was in town, they pointed me to a few up and coming Boston area breweries that I would have otherwise passed over. One of their suggestions, Night Shift's Trifecta, is now one of my favorite Belgian pale ales, and I only have the Craft Beer Cellar to thank for that. There is nothing more disappointing than taking a liquor store employee up and their offer for advice and being pointed to Blue Moon when you ask for a good Belgian white.

Garret Oliver showing off cans at CBC

The only downside of my visit was that I missed meeting Garret Oliver, brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery, by an hour. He just so happened to be in town with some of Brooklyn Brewery's new canned offerings and dropped by the Craft Beer Cellar to say, "Hello." Kate and Suzanne seem very connected and respected within the craft beer industry, which makes appearances by respected members in the industry as well as brewery tasting and showcases a typical scene at their store. Their impressive tasting schedule alone will surely get you drooling.

Hopefully, the Craft Beer Cellar is a beacon of hope for the future of the retail craft beer industry. Stores like this one dedicated solely to the sale of craft beer are beginning to appear and thrive because of the increasing presence and popularity of craft beer. Though somewhat regional right now, these stores are a possible model for the future in craft beer retail by exposing consumers to a new world of beer that they might not otherwise see in a typical package store that only offers the usual macro suspects.

If you are anywhere near Boston, you owe it to yourself to stop at Craft Beer Cellar. Be sure to chat it up with Suzanne and Kate and maybe even catch one of their many tastings that they host. Support your local craft beer store!