Stop the presses: an alcohol business opened on schedule in California. The guys at the Rare Barrel wanted their taproom open by the end of the year, and they made it with days to spare. Fans of the ever-widening “sour” category (a flawed term, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog post…) can get their funk on at 940 Parker Street in Berkeley on Fridays (4-10pm) and Saturdays (2-10pm) from this point forward.
I first wrote about Rare Barrel in January, and did a Q&A with the guys that might answer some of your more technical questions. I first tasted the beers in December, though they’ve been trickling out to a few local bars bars and the Rare Barrel founders club for a while now. (How high were hopes for this operation? High enough that people who’d never tasted the beer were clamoring to join the $300 founders club.)
The new taproom is looking really nice — it’s definitely the kind of place you can take that friend or family member who doesn’t understand your thing with fancy beer and thinks you’re probably a drunken slob. (Which maybe you are…no judgement….) I got to see the Rare Barrel space earlier this year when it was just a big room, and it’s obvious a lot of work went into whipping it into its current shape.
As you can see, there are barstools and tables if you can snag one. I expect it to be fairly crowded for a while due to the aforementioned high expectations, but January (a traditionally slow time for booze businesses) will probably mitigate the crowds somewhat.
How ’bout those long-awaited beers? They’re good (and, like Cellarmaker‘s offerings, will be changing often enough that I hesitate to torture you with lengthy tasting notes). I sampled four of them and there wasn’t a stinker in the bunch — impressive for a category as divisive as sours. I’ve heard some scattered criticism that they’re “not sour enough,” but I for one appreciate that Rare Barrel’s beers are puckery yet — to my palate — balanced. (If I want vinegar, I’ll make a salad.) Prices at the taproom were fair for high-maintenance barrel-aged beers, $7-$8.
Here’s the Rare Barrel taproom’s first taplist. The first four will be bottled!
- SKUs Me – golden sour beer aged in oak barrels, 5.3%
- Proportional Response – amber sour beer aged in oak barrels, 4.8%
- Shadows of Their Eyes – dark sour beer aged in oak barrels, 5.6%
- Ensorcelled – dark sour beer aged in oak barrels w/raspberry, 5.8%
- Map of the Sun – golden sour beer aged in oak w/apricot, single barrel release, 6.4%
- Sirius Black – golden sour beer aged in oak w/blackberry, single barrel release, 5.8%
- Tremendous Slouch – golden sour beer aged in oak w/peach, single barrel release, 6.4%
- Fields Forever – red sour beer aged in oak w/strawberry, single barrel release, 4.8%
As of today, the Rare Barrel has busted out two new releases. These folks are going to be hard to keep up with:
- Egregious – dry hopped golden sour beer aged in oak barrels, 5.9
- Wise Guise – red sour beer aged in oak barrels with raspberry, 5.4%
There’ll also be guest taps (opening day guest taps were from SoCal heavy hitters The Bruery and Societe), wine, and a small sandwich menu. I’m sure the wine is great, but as a beertender I gottta tell you that a nice barrel-aged non-hoppy beer can be a great gateway beer for the reluctant wine drinker…have your beer-hating friend or partner ask the barkeep for guidance.
They don’t currently do flights, so bring a drinking buddy and share 10 ounce pours for the most variety. Kids are allowed, but there are no distractions for them so bring your own (do not share the beers with them 😉 )
Taking public transit to the Rare Barrel involves a bit of walking or one of the many buses that run up and down San Pablo Boulevard, but of course BeerByBart.com has scouted it out. While you’re in the area, Rare Barrel is around the corner from the Missouri Lounge (one of Berkeley’s classic dive bars) and a mile from the Sierra Nevada Torpedo Room.
An all-sour blending house is a ballsy venture and I wish Jay, Alex, and Brad the best of luck. I don’t think they need it though. Follow ’em on Twitter or Facebook, or subscribe to their blog for the latest news.
Interesting. I’ve never really been a fan of sours before. They’re just so … sour. I’m a hophead, so I’ve never developed a palate for them. Just like most things, I just haven’t had the right ones, I suppose. I’ll have to check them out. Good point about non-beer drinkers. Maybe I’ll take my wife there. She doesn’t do beer at all.
I did, however, finally make it to the Torpedo Room. Loved, loved, loved it.