Craft Beer Cellar

KBrennan1000

Massachusetts

4.73/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Craft Beer Cellar is the kind of store I dream about. Small shop (square footage-wise) with a serious selection of beer. Glassware and tshirts from several breweries, along with a nice little collection of beer-centric books for sale. The area towards the back where tastings are held was well set up and out of the way of most foot traffic so as not to impede shoppers. The layout of the beer section was a little confusing to me, though if I wasn't on a bit of a time crunch I probably could have figured out the pattern. The store had a slightly crowded feel to it but that could partly be because of all the people crowding around the tiny Boston Terrier puppy who was making friends with what seemed to be a large black Newfoundland by the register. It was pretty awesome. I do think that the small space was well utilized, though. I'm curious to see what a slightly larger Craft Beer Cellar would look like but this was without a doubt a place I would enthusiastically spend my paycheck every week. I hope they open a shop closer to me.

09-04-2012 18:30:57 | More by KBrennan1000

Imstillthegman

Delaware

4.72/5  rDev -1.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Very nice little shop. Lots of locals, which I was hoping for, and many other craft or imported beers. Nice selection of glassware and even some t-shirts. I managed to drop a bit money here, both in locals and glassware. Glasses, btw, were nicely wrapped and boxed separately to avoid breakage. Very nice touch and much appreciated! Definitely will visit again when in the area. Well worth the drive from Boston.

05-16-2013 14:03:38 | More by Imstillthegman

jbertsch

Massachusetts

4.65/5  rDev -2.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Heard about this store through the article in the BA mag. Great store! Very warm and welcoming. Similar to the Publick House Provisions store in terms of quality and beer related items (artisanal beer snacks, etc.) but maybe just a bit more friendly (not knocking PHP at all).

It was jammed with people as there was some festival going on right outside in the street, and a rep from Harpoon was there giving tastings. Yet, I still didn't have trouble getting help. The only thing I couldn't find that I wanted at the time was some Mikkeller, but they took my info and were happy to look out for some with their distributor for me.

Selection was great - I did see plenty of stuff that's hard to find elsewhere and the prices were totally fair. Displays are orderly and clean - and again - just a warm feeling between the carpeting, lighting, and staff.

There's also a small display of choice wine in the back.

Wish this store was closer to me...but it won't stop me from driving the 30 minutes on occasion.

Definitely worth checking out.

12-03-2010 15:31:55 | More by jbertsch

Chowdahead

Maine

4.65/5  rDev -2.9%
quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Visited this shop for the first time in early Dec when I came down to Somerville to visit some friends. Had heard good things but it was actually better then my expectations.

Located right in Belmont town center. It was a Saturday afternoon a few weeks before the holidays so parking was a little bit of an issue but I was able to find a space after a bit. A small shop when you enter with warm selections on nice looking shelves to the right and a couple of large coolers with chilled selections on the left. Domestic beers were up towards the front of the store and imports toward the back.

Selection was top notch and everything was extremely organized, well laid out and easy to find. I was able to browse the beers and when I had a question the owners were more then willing to help and discuss the beers and breweries. Prices were right in line with other top beer retailers I have been to in MA.

The selection was not quite as extensive as Julio's but it was very close (which was extremely impressive considering the Craft Beer Cellar is about 1/5 the size of Julio's). I am psyched this store opened as now I will be stopping in to stock up on beer I can't get in Maine every time I come down to visit friends in Boston.

02-19-2011 00:57:33 | More by Chowdahead

celticfutblclub

Massachusetts

4.56/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | $$

great place that is very clean and well setup. small stock per beer on the floor means they can fit a lot of different beers on the floor and it doesnt feel cramped.

very friendly service that will help you if you need it or let you do your own thing if thats what you want. pricing was very reasonable for most beers.

some had complained about how the beer is sectioned by country/region but i actually really liked this setup. lets you see how much from each region you are getting (which can be hard to see if you are up there getting a bunch of mixed sixers).

definitely will be back again.

03-08-2011 14:55:07 | More by celticfutblclub

seanwhite

Massachusetts

4.56/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4 | $$

Great spot in Belmont (just outside of Boston and some good eating spots right near by).

I went for the release of Slum Brew, a new brewing company out of Somerville, MA, that was doing their initial launch tasting of their new brews.

I also was able to pickup a bottle of Lunch IPA, and a Full Sail 6 pack.

The store is in a small space, but it sure as hell packs a big punch. They have a wide selection of imports, as well as local and non-local domestic craft beers, that you will be hard pressed to find anywhere else. I really enjoyed meeting the owners and visiting this joint. I will surely come back.

11-21-2011 17:00:57 | More by seanwhite

tprokop7

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev -5%
quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | $$

Finally made a trip over to see this place. Selection was great, especially for a new store. It's nice to see a place devoted entirely to craft beer, instead of having to wade through BMC products to a rack in the back.

Prices were fair for sure, lower than several other stores in the area and about even with my typical store. Prices were all clearly marked.

Staff were fine - though three on a Thursday afternoon seems a little excessive. Offered to help, but I was happy to browse myself.

Overall it's a great place, especially considering how new it is.

01-27-2011 20:31:31 | More by tprokop7

neophilus

Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev -5%
quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | $$

I had the pleasure of visiting this store on a Sunday afternoon. Street side parking was a little crowded but there was a large parking lot behind the store with a rear entrance as well. The store was extremely clean, well lit and nicely carpeted. I was greeted immediately by a friendly clerk who offered assistance if needed but did not bother me while I was browsing.

The beers were tastefully presented on black wooden shelves and organized by brewery, which were clearly labeled on each section with the state and city the brewery was located in. There was a large variety of stock but only a few beers out of each type - the rest of the stock was held downstairs I assume. This made it much easier to browse their large variety. I was also very happy that nearly every beer was clearly priced with no ambiguity about what the beer would cost at the register.

I had heard rumors this place was overpriced but I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was not. Most rare/expensive bottles matched up evenly with other craft beer stores I had been to and several were slightly cheaper than I had seen before.

The best part of this store is their mix and match 4 and 6 pack policy. You can take any bottle out of any 4 or 6 pack in the store and put together your own sampler. Each beer is rung in separately so there is no question about which beers you can take or how much the final cost will be. I found it quite reasonable when I chose 4 high gravity bottles and the final price came to below $10.

One final note - they had an excellent selection of craft brewery glassware. There were Pretty Things glasses, Sam Adams 25th Anniversary, Cape Ann Brewing, Long Trail and many others including Belgians. Most were priced at around $2-3. Overall I had a really great experience there.

01-31-2011 15:56:43 | More by neophilus

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

4.54/5  rDev -5.2%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.75 | $$

A great little gem of a place. Some shops really just go above and beyond, and this is one of them. A tremendous selection of beer here, including a heavy bias towards local craft/micro options, including Night Shift and Pretty Things. Also a small selection of wine.

Those who know me know that I'm a glassware collector. Well the selection here made me drool, and between the wife and I, we walked out with nearly $200 worth of local and not-so-local glassware. Service was great. Not only was someone right there to ask if we needed help as soon as we walked in, but someone took the time to wrap and box all the glassware we bought. They're running a good operation here. Prices were about spot typical shop prices.

I hate driving anywhere within Boston or its suburbs, but I'd gladly go back to this place if I'm anywhere remotely in the area. And if I lived within 50 miles of this place, I'm sure I'd go broke in no time.

03-10-2013 01:55:13 | More by Rifugium

Duhast500

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev -6.1%
quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | $$

This is a craft beer nirvana in the heart of Belmont. I had heard about a store openeing up in the town of Belmont and was not seeking it out but happened upon it by chance. The outside window was promising some really great beers so I was excited to be passing by. The selection was really great with a few new selections I had not seen at other beer stores. There was many favorites and a couple newer beers that were just released right as I came in. The staff is pretty helpful, I was able to find what I was looking for without any issues and the prices were decent for the great beers that were being carried and were about what the market was for there beers that I had checked. I am glad to have a great place to go now in the town of Belmont for great craft beer.

01-12-2011 04:03:00 | More by Duhast500