Craft Beer Cellar

GimmeAGuinness

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +4.4%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Yay, Belmont! So glad the Puritans finally left town, and the Council finally allows respectable alcohol establishments. This place is a gem in Belmont Center. I went in on the suggestion of someone who'd been there and couldn't stop talking about it. I must say I was equally impressed. I was greeted by the owner, and she was very friendly and genuinely happy to be of service. The store isn't huge as far as area, but they pack plenty of good beer on their many shelves, and their prices are great. The best thing about this shop (other than the selection) is you can buy singles of anything. Feel free to break up a six-pack if you're curious about anything in the store. If you do, a 12oz is only about 2 bucks. Easy! They also have wine, cheese, mustards, and hot sauces. This is a must-try.

01-06-2011 00:43:49 | More by GimmeAGuinness

jennie

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +4.4%
quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

My new go-to beer store! Kate and Suzanne really have a great place on their hands.

The selection is great and easy to navigate. The beers are organized by geographic region and this makes it easy to browse. It is clear that a lot of thought goes into the inventory, even as far as which non-alcohol beers they carry. Freshness/turn-over looks good, no dusty or out of date bottles to be seen. They also let you buy individual bottles, which is nice and not typical in similarly-sized stores. Prices are equal or a bit cheaper than others in the area.

The staff is friendly and there when you need them, but also won't follow you around while you're browsing. I believe they will place orders, too, if they don't have what you want but it's available in our market. The owners have been involved in the beer scene professionally for many years and know their stuff, and the support staff seems knowledgeable as well.

The location is also nice, and only a short drive from Somerville. They also have a parking lot and entrance behind the store, which makes it easy when street parking is crowded or you don't have money for a meter.

They also have a really nice wine selection, so it's good one stop shopping if you need to do your beer and wine shopping at once.

I'm searching for something critical to say but coming up blank. Highly recommend it.

01-28-2011 21:28:33 | More by jennie

beals

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

we're pretty blessed in the Boston area to have a number of great beer stores and breweries, as well as a growing core of smart craft beer fans (BA's and others) creating demand.

i led with that not to blow smoke up everyone's collective asses, but to point out that with all the options and all the news about craft beer going on in the area the Alstrom bros call home, it's rare that a new place can be noteworthy -- at least without gimmicks.

[begin fanboy gushing] no gimmicks here -- the Craft Beer Cellar is my new favorite beer store, hands-down. smaller selection than a place like Julio's or Marty's, but they keep the stock rotating and they have a crack staff who knows their stuff. i was in here a few weeks ago looking for an IPA and Suzanne recommended a "Short's Brew", a Michigan label we never see here in the Commonwealth.

one last note: i know everyone's on the twitters these days, but huge props to them for connecting to their customers via twitter in a way that's genuine. and they're wicked friendly in person, too -- stop by and say hi!

03-19-2011 15:30:09 | More by beals

prodigo

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I am in love with this place! It was absolutely worth the hour's drive (and the traffic on the way back haha).

It's a very well kept place and the layout is well organized. Like other reviewers said, the visible pricing is well appreciated. No need to bug somebody to keep looking up the prices for bottles.

The service is absolutely fantastic. Both Kate and Suzanne are very friendly, knowledgeable and passionate. I noticed that they know how to engage customers who want to discuss the selection, or let people browse on their own - but always greet people. Kate was great and helped me find many new beers - so there was no need for me to buy in the dark in the vast selection of beers that are new to me.

The selection is all I could ask for. Perhaps there are places that may carry more, but I stumbled across multiple old friends that I hadn't seen anywhere for ages (and promptly snatched up several of).

One thing that's a breath of fresh air is the beer is all fresh, I didn't see any bottling dates (on the beers that have them) dating back further than 4-6 months.

Another note is they have a discount for buying in bulk - which was a nice surprise.

Wonderful place...I'll surely be going back

04-28-2011 00:04:55 | More by prodigo

OrangeAmps

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Nice location in Belmont center. Belmont is a quintessential suburban Boston area town, and i love every minute of it. Parking can be a pain, but usually some on-street spaces open up if you just wait a bit.

Very well thought out and meticulously organized layout. The prices are quite obviously affixed to the cubby holes lining the walls of the store where the beer is housed.

The staff is extremely friendly and very open to questions. The two owners are very cordial, as is the rest of the staff (in my experience). They aren't too quick to harangue you with unwanted advice, but they have a good eye for noticing bewilderment on the part of patrons and seize the opportunity to check in and see what's going on.

The selection is great. I have been spoiled by being close to lots of stores with amazing selections (Marty's, Julio's, Yankee Spirits) and this store can hang with the best of 'em even though they have a tiny selection in comparison to the aforementioned bigger stores. But considering they are fairly small, its incredible. They seem to get the majority of the craft deliveries on Wednesdays, so in my experience its better to go towards the end of the week.

The beer is never dusty and old, unlike stores i visit from time to time on the south shore. They are evidently very passionate about what they do.

Another thing i dig about this store is their propensity for social media. They are always on twitter, and will get back to you quite fast if you ask them a question, both online and on the phone.

I think they handle special releases really well (KBS '11 comes to mind).

You can mix a six or just buy single beers, whatever you like.

This place is the bomb.

05-01-2011 23:30:56 | More by OrangeAmps

VCgabi

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I used to stop by the Cambridge Common for a nice after work drink. Loved the selection and the staff. Then I found out the ladies in charge of beer works there had opened up shop in Belmont. I've been going to this store since it opened and I've never been disappointed. Multiple, diverse beer tastings, sometimes paired with food from local vendors. Huge, great selection including beerware and an awesome array of canned beers! The two women who run this place are just great. They know about beer. They've been talking about offering beer classes in the future; I will DEF be there.

I've introduced many of my friends to this place and hope to keep doing so. It's reasonably priced and I love that you can mix'n'match as much as you please.

06-02-2011 20:12:18 | More by VCgabi

Flounder57

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

I stopped in here a few nights ago after heading home on Route 2 back to Dorchester. Slight detour, but well worth my travels.

The store has two entrances and a large glass window you can see into the store. From the second I parked me car, I could see this was going to be a treat. The store is well lit, craft beer signs everywhere, clean, easy to move around, and neat.

Service was over the top hospitality. Kate and Suzanne were very knowledgeable and helpful. I could also see that the same service provided to me was also provided to other customers that were entering and leaving the store.

The quality and selection of beers were great. I ended up picking up a 4 pack of Monk's cafe sour, a 750ml of Kwak, and a six pack of Red Racer from Canada. Lots of local beers as well as other craft beers from the US and European beers also. Wine was also available for sale too.

I will be stopping here in the near future and bringing friends who can appreciate a well put together store of craft beer. Well worth the drive and you will wowed and happy after leaving this store.

07-30-2011 16:50:15 | More by Flounder57

Andy

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

Run by great beer people who provide top notch customer service, this gem in Belmont Center packs a lot of heart and great beer into welcoming space. Great selection divided by country or region and the staff and owners are always available to answer your questions and offer suggestions. With easy parking out back, I visit once a month to stock up on what I need. A few well-chosen wines round out the selection here. Also plays host to a number of beer industry events, from tastings to book signings. Your local beer stop.

10-14-2011 18:41:39 | More by Andy

Neorebel

New Jersey

5/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$

While visiting a friend we went to this store and quite frankly I was blown away! It's like a high-end clothing boutique only for beer instead. Everything is neatly organized, clean and fresh, with displays that are eye catching and creative. The place is full circle with glassware, books, apparel, and even Stone's hot sauce for sale. Suzanne and Kate were unbelievably kind, as if you were a guest in their homes. I was very impressed with the selection - especially the German and Belgian sections... I scored some Wurzberger Hofbrau and Duvel Triple Hop, as well as De Dolle Stille Nacht. This is less a store ad more of a tourist attraction!

11-15-2011 04:58:30 | More by Neorebel

greenengineer

Massachusetts

5/5  rDev +4.4%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | $$$

The one beer store I will go out of my way for. While other stores try to stock everything, the selection at Craft Beer Store is carefully curated. If it is on the shelf or in the cooler, you should try it - nothing industrial or bad in the entire place. (I wonder how many people walk in there looking to pick up a 2-4 of Coors Light?)

The owners are always there, and always have good advice, or thoughts to share. Very frequent tastings of all sorts of local stuff, and they have all the local stuff I cant get anywhere else (Baxter and Slumbrew most recently for me.)

This is the place I'll always go to if I don't know what I always leave happy.

I'm not here for the price, and it's probably toward the high end, but it feels like money well spent. Really the kind of place that should be nurtured and supported.

01-09-2012 02:31:53 | More by greenengineer