This narrow cavern in posh Belmont Center is a beer lover’s sanctuary. Here, local brews get top billing. In fact, founder Suzanne Schalow insists on carrying exclusively micro, artisanal, and craft beers—labels from major corporations occupy zero space on her shelves. It helps that she has deep ties to the local brewing community: Before opening the cellar in 2010 with partner Kate Baker, she worked at beloved Harvard Square beer bar at Cambridge Common. There, she cultivated friendships with up-and-coming artisans. As a result, her shop is one of the few in the area to carry obscurities like, say, People’s Pint from Greenfield, Massachusetts. And a recent visit showcased prime real estate for funky newcomers Mystic, a year-old brewery run by a husband-wife team of MIT fermentation scientists, and Night Shift Brewing, started by three friends in a tiny Somerville kitchen. While the shop stocks craft beer from all over the world (more than 900 varieties at last count), a devoted section of the store—and window displays—are reserved for New England originals like Cisco and Pretty Things; hometown favorite Jack D’or is a top seller. The cellar donates ten percent of net profits to the Belmont Food Pantry.
