Cellarmaker's beer is excellent; it's service is so-so. I came here with my family on a Thursday afternoon (about 10 minutes after opening) and the place was packed. I eventually noticed a bar stool open so my mother sat down, only to have a bartender rudely come over and tell her the seat was taken (there had been no one sitting at the stool for quite some time). After waiting at the bar, we were able to place our order (strangely my parents were IDed which was a little weird). I had the Contains Nuts #1 (a malty strong ale), which was a tad hoppy but nonetheless very drinkable and delicious. My mom had the Original Dankster, a hoppy double IPA which we were both very impressed by. We would have had a taster flight to try all of the brews, but there was literally no space at the bar or at any of the tables upon which to place the tasters. Overall, Cellarmaker Brewing Company is doing great things with craft beer, but should look into increasing the size of the place (or at least squeeze in some more tables) and training the bartenders better in customer service. read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Tried to fill a growler today (glass) and staff refused. Explained that glass growlers compromise beer because of light exposure. I pointed out their website, and lookie here: "At the tasting room you will find our beers available in 5oz tasters, half pints, pints, as well as 1 Liter and 64oz growlers to go. We sell glass growlers of the 1L and 64oz size with our logo for $8" So Lame. read more

Being one of the more noteworthy microbreweries on the rise in the bay, I was excited to make my first visit here especially after having a flight of their brews across the bay. 5 pm on a Friday and the small space was filled to the brim! Every brew is available in 5 oz pours along with 1/2 and full pint pours for most of them to allow for much flexibility with trying multiple styles. I dig the multiple pale ales and IPAs that these guys are rolling out, each made with different combinations of hop varietals. I believe some single hop brews are in the works as well. I enjoyed them all though the Laces Out single and Original Dankster DIPA were the standouts. Likewise, the Coffee and Cigarettes Smoked Porter made with Blue Bottle's "Giant Steps" dark blend was fantastic and easily my favorite of the entire lineup. So why 3 stars? While the beers overall are quite good, these guys have already become far too popular for their tasting room to handle. The inside is pretty tiny and noise levels quickly became intolerable even with an open front. In other words, try to swing by during off peak hours or get ready to raise your voice by a few decibels to carry a conversation. read more

Finally made it to the brewery after all these years. It's a nice spot, albeit a bit small. Only tried a few of the ipa's, which were good, but have lost some of the magic that they once had a few years back. Also, this place is not kid friendly unfortunately, due to licensing restrictions read more

Very good beers. Broad range, from light lagers to BBA stouts. Cool atmosphere. Parking may be a challenge but not impossible read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Even though it is one of the newer breweries in the city, Cellarmaker Brewing has quickly become the most talked about brewery in San Francisco. This probably has something to do with the fact that they are brewing "new-age", experimental beers. A lot of the breweries in San Francisco were pretty well established before the current craft beer renaissance began, and they are still brewing more traditional beers. Cellarmaker, on the other hand, is brewing some cutting edge IPAs that are really catching some attention. They were pouring about four different IPAs on the day that I went, and they contained a wide range of hops (Nelson, Equinox, Southern Passion). Cellarmaker seems to lean towards the tropical varieties, which I definitely enjoy. They also had a coffee session beer on tap, which was very robust for a session. I believe they are also known for their coffee beers, and based off the Front Coffee Session that I tried, I can see why. Despite the fact that it is in the heart of SoMa, it isn't too trendy, and has the look and feel of a traditional craft brewery tap room. They don't serve food, but they have several great options for delivery from neighboring establishments. In case you need another reason to go here, this may be the last place in San Francisco where you can get a pint of beer for $6. At that price, you might as well try them all. read more

Great place to come and have a beer flight or tasting. You can order a tasting size so you can try as many as you want. Great atmosphere, it was packed at 3pm on a Saturday! A decent selection to choose from, which is nice. The beers are good, depends on what you like though. read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Beer Flight - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Charming little place with great beer. You might not find a seat and you might not be able to bring your dog.. but you should FOR SURE get a pint! read more

Awesome place deep in the heart of SoMa - perfect for a happy hour after work or simply a chill night out over some great craft beers. I picked up a new growler and filled it with the 7.0% ABV, 45 ibu Wicked Juicy IPA, and I am extremely happy with it. The prices are fair and the bar, despite being on the smaller side, has enough willing tenders to make sure your night will be aided by a continuous flow of sudsy Cellarmaker goodness. You can peak into the back room and observe the brewing process, too. Will be back! read more

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One of my favorite breweries that I have ever been to. We came here 5 minutes before opening on a Saturday and there were already people waiting outside. We did tasters of everything they had on the menu, and there wasn't anything I didn't like. Everything was really really good, especially their pale ales and IPAs. I love this place and will be back again, and again. read more

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Cellarmaker is every beer geek's dream neighborhood brewery / brewpub. It's just unfortunate that the neighborhood in which it's located is not quite inhabitable by people who would most benefit from its existence. By now, Cellarmaker's reputation far precedes it by leaps and bounds. It's notable, however, that Cellarmaker has achieved this without bottling a single beer and serving their deliciously concocted brews only to those who make the short trek in SoMa to visit their hallowed grounds (and the few places around the Bay Area that they "distribute" to, like the Rare Barrel) and without the RateBeer/BeerAdvocate/Untapp'd hype that other Bay Area breweries tend to get showered with. You will hardly see any tap repeat in close proximity to its last appearance, but you almost wish it did; I haven't seen Tangarang, Coffee and Cigarettes, Tiny Dankster, and Original Dankster on tap more than twice in the 4 or 5 separate occasions I've been to Cellarmaker, yet they're all remembered and fondly talked about every time I go as if they're available everyday of the week. Stirring the conversation back to my main point. Cellarmaker is super comfortable and was never designed to be big or house that many people. That being said, it's also located in SoMa so it's always flooded with people every time I visit, especially since their open times tend to lean towards later on in the afternoon. The staff is very helpful and not at all shy about beer suggestions or general conversations about beer in general; I think I had a 15 minute conversation about american hop additions during whirlpool for one of their heavily-hopped lagers with one of the bar staff at one time, which was a pleasant surprise. I sense I'm still not getting my main point across, so I'll be more concise. The beer here is comparable to some of the more popular Bay Area destinations such as Lagunitas and Russian River, with the key difference being you can enjoy your brews without the risk of drunk driving across the Golden Gate Bridge. The food option here is somewhat limited, but you'll be in SoMa so good food is not very far from you at all. If you don't like tech yuppies / hipsters talking about their latest exploits on the interwebs, then I strongly suggest you come as early as possible else you'll find yourself drowning in obnoxious technobabble, but in the end, none of this will matter as soon as the bartender hands you a pint of some of the freshest, hoppiest beer you'll taste on this side of the Bay. Sorry for not making too much sense in this review. Just make sure to make this place a pit stop while making the SoMa craft beer bar crawl (i.e. Mikkeller SF, City Beer, etc.) You won't be disappointed, I promise. read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Coffee and Cigarettes. Blurry Silicon Valley Hipster not included. - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

How did I learn about Cellarmaker? A good friend brought me a growler as a gift of their Holiday Ale. I thought to myself, 'wow, i usually hate holiday editions, thanks a*hole, couldn't you have brought anything else!?' To be nice, I gave myself a small pour and had a sip expecting the worst...and then...INCREDIBLE, THIS IS FANTASTIC! My next logical thought was, hey, if they make a holiday ale this good, their other stuff has to be great! Indeed, it's ALL tasty. I now usually stop by to fill up growlers. It's slightly pricey, but at the end of the day I'd say worth it / a fair price for the dedication to their craft. I love IPAs and to have anywhere between 2-4 original IPAs on tap is something most others can't boast in SF. Cellarmaker has put out some of my favorite IPAs of all time. They rival or surpass the industry's best. I've been particularly surprised by the great flavors of their 'juicy' unfiltered IPAs. Keep it up! Thanks Cellarmaker! read more

Hmmm... not an easy place to locate the first time, but definitely worth a visit. You can get to it with a 10 minute walk from the Muni/Bart, but you are walking on the fringe of a potential sketchy area. My buddies and I tried a flight of different beers. I enjoyed the Saison Francisco and J-17 Pale. The Coquette is a nice light/fresh kolsch style beer. The Kelly's Blackout Stout was a decent stout. The vastness of space was an interesting twist on a dark beer. I need to try it again to refresh my memory. The sad part for me on my visit was that they were out of the Coffee and Cigarettes and no IPAs that night. Darn... I definitely will have to come back next time I'm working in the City. read more

For last couple of months, my homebrewing buddy is raving about crazily hoppy beers that he is drinking at Rare Barrel, courtesy of guest taps from Cellarmaker. Even in the Bay Area proper, Cellarmaker's beers are not everywhere, so I can't say I was familiar with this gem from SOMA. Upon hearing that one of their IPAs tastes like PTE used to, the plans were laid out to get acquainted with the rest of the lineup and visit the source. We all know everything about the prices of real estate in SF, so it doesn't come as a surprise that the taproom and the brewery are compressed into a very tight space. The brewery itself, in the back room and visible through the glass door, might be a lesson in space utilization. I immediately thought of Ikea showrooms and 200 sq foot homes. Due to weekend traffic in San Francisco and an event we came to the City for, this initial visit to Cellarmaker Brewing Co. was cut a bit short and we only had time for one pint. Since the space is so small and crowded, it took few minutes to get the bartenders attention and order some beers. They only had one IPA on tap, called SFC. Being big hopheads we determined that this is a great beer but not as hoppy, 'dank', or Pliny-like...The brown ale my wife had was pretty tasty and up with the best of the style, however, brown ales are not totally my thing so I wasn't that overwhelmed. Time constraints and lack of another big IPA on tap were enough to get out us back into the car and on our way. We decided though that Cellarmaker deserves a proper visit and a flight to get the real fell for what they are. I will be back soon and update the review, for now I am leaving that 1 star as insurance that their Cray Cray and other 'dank' IPAs are all I heard they are... read more

My now husband took me here on our second date. Until coming here, I thought I HATED beer. I didn't care if it was brewed by Belgian Monks and super fancy or Natural Light that I used to sell to alcoholics when I worked at a service station in Memphis, TN. It all tasted like horse pee to me. Then my beloved introduced me to this place. I tried the Vastness of Space at the Cellarmaker and I was forever sold on Imperial Stouts. I didn't know they were a thing, and my view on beer shifted. Stouts and Porters have such a reach, full, smooth flavour, and this place has lovely ones to drink. There are also two bathrooms here, which is great. I wish they had some seats at the accessible bar area that were not high up(access y'all- Disability ACCESS is Inclusion!). Other than that, it's a great bar if you just want beer. It's not a party bar to see and be seen- it's for people who enjoy craft beer. There is also no food. Very low key and friendly, with a clientele who knows their hops and stuff. Thank you Cellarmaker for changing my mind on what beer can be. read more

The thing that sets this Brewery apart from many is their knowledge of what people want. Every hoppy beer if either super juicy or full of dank. No nasty malty body and they are not afraid to experiment. Had all 15 Origional beers during SFBW and can honestly say they don't make a bad beer. read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The neighborhood is a little sketchy and they closed at 9pm on a Friday night! We only had time for one beer each and split another then we got kicked out. The girls started mopping the floors with really strong cleaners at 9:10 and that was that! After walking almost two miles to get there and the last 3/4 mile was a little scary I was a little disappointed. The Coffee and Cigarettes porter was actually better than the dessert stout which stouts are typically my favorite. The stout was too sweet for me, glad we only got one and split it. We got a Lyft back to our hotel. Not impressed. read more

Small ass brewery with limited seating but hell I'm pretty sure that's the draw of the place; it's quaint to boot. I'm not sure if they give tours of the brewing facility but if you're looking for the usual large format touring that's good for big groups this is not your stop (again this is not a negative point). The place is a bit loud and for whatever reason the bartender does this odd poetry type skit before doing last call. Your hipster date will love the shenanigans. Props to the brew master who provides a great tart beer that I don't remember the name of. read more

The key to a good long-term relationship is to keep things spicy and switch it up, right? Cellarmaker is a mastermind at experimenting with their beers. As a result they produce small batches of their unique brews. Don't expect to see your favorite beer their each time - as they stick to no strict production schedule or to their flagship beers. If you love hoppy beers - this is the pace for you as there are generally 3-5 hop-driven beers on tap at any time. Not so into hops: they have a great selection of dark roasty beers, bright effervescent beers, and Belgian inspired beers for each drinking. Not quite sure what to get? They offer 5 oz. tastes, half pints and pints. Growlers can also be filled. read more

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A wonderful array of draft beer options ranging from light beers to double IPA's all made in house Love the $2.50 - $3 4oz option, it allows you sample a lot without committing Seating is hard once it gets crowded but most people there are friendly enough to shift seats to make room Overall Thoughts My sort of place to stop by for beer read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Sample of one drink I tried - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Chill hang out, with good IPAs. Hands down the best SF brewery. Borderline the only good one inside the city. IPA masters. They know how to dry hop, and use lots of New Zealand and local hops. Always have new experimental beers on tap. They don't bottle. Taps and growlers only. They have beef jerky and chips for food. The building is cool. It's an enclosed alley way. Exterior brick and concrete walls in either side. Exposed construction beams. 3 social tables. Bar seats for about 14. And some standing room. read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Local beer list. Lots of new Zealand hops. - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Probably the best brewery in SF. A lot of places make "creative beers" but Cellarmaker's beers do not sacrifice taste/flavor for creativity. There space is a little tight but I see them expanding soon as they continue to grow. read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Cellarmaker is a pretty cool place to hang out, but it gets packed. We were able to get a seat at the bar and noticed how quickly it gets crowded in here. It's not a big space. The beers were good, although they had a lot of IPAs on tap. But, they mixed it up with some singles, a double, and a triple. My favorite was the Resplendent blonde ale, but I also really liked the Quadruple Doblis. What a balance to really like something as light as a blonde and something as heavy as a Quad! They did right by both styles. Anyway, there's no food so bring your own and the staff was pretty chill. read more

Sours are good. Trimming trees is the best. Staff was fast and made sure you were never dry. Not a lot of stouts or New England IPAs when I went but the others were good. read more

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The beer here is so good it's always packed but it's worth it. HUGE selection to try. Really good to get tasters or just a pint. May not be great for really "HUGE" groups but still worth the trip. read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Cellarmaker is one of my favorite local breweries. Their innovative takes on my favorite styles of beer have made me into a big fan of their signature recipes. Their tap room is cozy but a fun place that probably matches their size at this moment. Try: - Fresh Pale Ales such as 'Tiny Dankster' - IPAs like 'Highway to the Danker Zone' - Stouts like 'Coffee & Cigarettes' They also are pretty friendly with growlers and the service is pretty cool. As with any bar, the bigger the crowd -- the worse the service -- but I have had a great time even when packed. read more

This is an intimately small joint that serves quality brew. I only got to try one of their products which was the bourbon barrel one--damn good. I wish I could've tried everything. They don't serve food which I saw as a good thing at the time because it's just a cozy beer joint to hang around on their picnic table style high tables/chairs. No messy food and people walking everywhere or bumping into each other. However, bar food is so good with beer so I wouldn't mind eating some duck fat fries with foie gras while enjoying the brewmaster's crafted liquids. This place epitomizes a legit bar-hopping location if you're in the SOMA. Walk down to City Beer Store to further your beer exploration discoveries. read more

Kinda small setup, sweet decor, awesome beers, nice people working. I'll be back when I'm in the neighborhood, I'm sure. read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Their music - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Quick Notes · Notably good beers offered. · Pretty small inside · Music is really loud! · Lots of people inside · Kind of out of the way if you are on foot I kind of expected more from Cellarmaker in terms of location and ambience. Or maybe it was just expecting something different. The beers I had were pretty good and made the trip worth it. Definitely a great brewery but not on the top of my list. Would come back though. read more

This place is always great. Nice atmosphere, excellent brews and friendly staff. What more can you ask for in a brewery? read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

I heard about this place for months so I had to try it when I was in the city and it was very impressive. I love breweries that are passionate and intimate and really know how to mix and match flavors in beers to make you really appreciate it. It was delicious, great atmosphere and I will come back read more

Wow, they've been there 2 years and I JUST went? I suck. This place is amazing. Tried the Batch 1 Porter, the Coffee & Cigarettes, and the Baby Blammo! I feel like my beer purist side hates myself for admitting this, but jeez - the Baby Blammo! with the coconut flavors was truly mind blowing. I've NEVER had any coconut flavored beer - and I loved it. Must return for more. Man, I love San Francisco. read more

Outstanding beer in a very cool setting. We were there minutes after they opened and it was half full. Minutes after we sat down it was entirely full, with a stream of people coming in for growler fills. These are always great signs. We stuck with the ales and tried Future Shock, Juice Cannon and Maximum Joy. All excellent. No cans for sale, but that likely would have meant lines down the street so we were fine with that. Any beer geek should have this place #1 on the list of places to visit in SF (with Anchor coming in 2nd or 3rd) read more

Daphne: Love at First Pint ;-) Sampled 5 beers all good but Daphne was my fav. Lovely hints of Rosemary and yuzu. Highlight of tasting experience is the small you experience the moment before taking a sip or gulp. Really nice! read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Best brewery in SOMA? There is a statistically high probability that the answer is, yes. Solid selection of hoppy ales, great service, laid back vibe, what more can you ask for? Sure, it's a small space and can get cramped at peak times, but since it's not freshman year anymore and you don't travel in a pack of your closest 20 hallmates, that's not really a problem. Not to mention, this isn't a B&B, so have a couple beers, laughs, and be on your way. read more

I had a good feeling about this place as soon as I walked in. Imperial Coffee and Cigarettes ($6) == 5 stars. This one's so dark and smokey. The bartender told us to finish with this, and I'm glad we did. My buddy said this is probably his favorite beer of all time, and now I see why. It's such a different kind of beer. I've never had anything like this before, and the smokiness is done very well. It's unique, striking, and activates your taste buds in so many ways. Other drinks: The Pretty Bird ($6) is a citrus-y, fresh, and floral pale ale. Very refreshing. 4 stars. We also got something not on the menu -- I forget the name -- it was a stout that was aged in bourbon and vermouth. It seemed like a red wine + Manhattan + stout all in one, which was also excellent. 5 stars for this one too. All good things must come to an end, but Cellarmaker ends too soon: Closing time is 11 pm, because only a limited number of bars can be open past a certain time. Cellarmaker wasn't able to get the license to stay open. read more

There is a variety of beers here at this brewing company, but the choices that was provided on this day was okay. Small spot with a few people inside, and found a seat pretty quick. Good for small crowds! read more

Cellarmaker Brewing Company - Breweries Near Me - Berkeley, California

Fantastic service and delicious brews! Try the illuminaetron and the brohemian rhapsody. Delicious. Oh and the best, manhattan vastness of space manhattan barrel. So good. So the place, limited seating and not much parking so be prepared to look for parking and a place to park yourself :) you can try a flight which is 2.50-3$ per 5 oz pours. Treat yo self! read more

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These guys make excellent beer. The bartenders are nice and very knowledgeable. I loved the Party Drank double IPA and the Maple Bourbon Barrel Evil Spread 15% abv stout. read more

Overview: Cellarmaker is a microbrewery here in San Francisco that prides itself on unique flavors, cutting edge zymurgy, and tap rather than bottled beer. The Beer: This is hard to describe because Cellarmaker constantly rotates the type of beers that they sell. No matter what you choose there's always a special twist that makes each beer unique. For example one beer that I tried was named "When Doves Cryo" that was made using hops submerged in liquid nitrogen and had a strong bitter flavor that (while not super pleasant) was fun to sample. One of my favorites, "Juice Gymnastics" was beer infused with pineapple juice. It was superb. If you're a first timer, just order a tasting menu of all their beers! The Atmosphere: It's located next to Vive La Tarte, my favorite bakery in SoMa, and labeled only with a small nondescript sign. It's loud, crowded, and minimalist. If you're a single person in a small group, you'll love this place. On bottle-release days there's always a line :-P. Lots of people will bring a growler to fill up with their favorite beer on tap. Conclusions: Top-notch brewers that make some of the most unique flavored beers in the city. Expensive but well worth the visit. read more