The Beer Cellar - New, Overdue, and with plenty of Great Brews

Beer is cool. However I’m not talking your fancy European Larger with their expensive, feature film, quality adverts, slick marketing campaigns, and fancy pumps on the bar that look like pieces of contemporary sculpture that wouldn’t seem out of place in the Tate Modern. No. I’m talking Ale’s. Real Ales. What your dad, and granddad drinks. These beers are now the cutting edge of chic, and the hottest place in town to be seen with one of these is the Beer Cellar.

 

Brand new to Exeter, only opening a couple of weeks ago, the city’s latest bar is located at the top of South Street on the corner of the entrance through into Cathedral Green.  Don’t think for a minute though that this is some dark, musty, hushed, conservative establishment full of old men with beards discussing hops and brewing temperatures. This is a modern looking, streamlined bar, with no frills and gaudy paraphernalia hanging from the walls,  that wouldn’t look out of place in New York or London, and is full of men with beards discussing hops and brewing temperatures! These are some impressive facial hair displays though, that have made, in a similar way, as an unexpected and extraordinary comeback into the fashionable circles as proper beer has done over the last few years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Originally started down in Cornwall as a purely specialist bottled beer shop, the Beer Cellar became popular enough to start to offer tasting sessions and draught options on a lot of their range. This has lead to them taking the plunge full on by opening their first, purpose built bar here in Exeter.  I’m a big fan of beers, as you may have guessed, and I think this new approach to it, from a younger generation who don’t mind bringing a bit of modernity to the cause, and who aren’t frightened off by the image of what drinking Ales and Stouts might give them, can, and will, open up this tasty and refreshing world to a whole new audience. I was travelling in the States last year and over the Pond the thirst for old fashioned beer brewed in micro breweries has just exploded. There are dozens of bars like the Beer Cellar in every major town and city and they are crowded every night with young people(most admittedly with strange hair, thick rimmed glasses and a hipster fashion sense)  who want to experiment and try new and different beers from all over the world. So it's about time something like this has come to Exeter.

The Beer Cellar has embraced this way of thinking, with currently 12 taps dedicated to draught beers (with the chance of three or four more being added very soon) that don’t just boast signs on them advertising local Devon and Cornish brews, but Ales from all across the country and the world.  These are constantly rotated with new beers arriving every day. I’ve been in twice, a week or so apart, and was amazed that almost none of the same beers were still on tap from my first visit, so there are always plenty of reasons to keep going back. All of the beers are handled with great care and attention. They are all treated uniquely, with every aspect of their storage and delivery, no matter how minor, carefully considered and taken into account before they reach the taste buds of the discerning clientele. All this is done by the very knowledgeable staff who are eager to pass on their wisdom to anyone who is either unsure about what to try, or wants to discuss the finer points of individual techniques or subtle flavours.  There is also a healthy range of bottled beers, some you might know but plenty ready to be discovered, and for those who still can’t be convinced by all this old fashioned brewing malarkey, they have a fine line in high class spirits and a few very cheeky white and red wines. Even though it might not be beer, everything has been taste tested to bring you the best flavours imaginable.

If you do discover a favourite brew that you like, then they are more than happy to sell you a polly pin of 4-6 pints to take home with you to share with friends, or to just enjoy on your own if you don’t have any. They also plan on doing a small amount of food, bar snacks and nibbles mostly, once the place is fully operational, and during the summer months, when the rain clouds have melted away and the warm evenings seem to stretch on until morning, they will have outside seating overlooking the Cathedral and Hog Roasts supplied by a Cornish farm whom they have a strong connection with; they feed their piggy’s on recycled malt and sediment from the bottom of the casks.  So look out for that.

I hope you will investigate this latest, independent, addition to the city and discover for yourself a quirky bar in the centre of town, that takes great pride in what it serves and isn’t ashamed to break the traditional ideas and prejudices that go along with they serve. Try it for yourself and I bet you’ll find something you like.

Opening Times: 11.00 - 23.30

Address: 2 South Street, Exeter, EX1 1DZ

Phone	01392 757570 / 07830260423
Email	exeter@beer-cellar.co.uk
Website	http://www.beer-cellar.co.uk