STARTING A BEER CELLAR

Starting a beer cellar is straightforward and easier than you might think but like any other collection, requires time, effort, and quickly gets out of hand if you don’t put that time and effort in.

Here’s a few tips to get you started with beer cellaring:

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ONLY BUY BEERS YOU CAN ACTUALLY CELLAR

Although it seems overly obvious, not all beers can be cellared.  You should look for bottle fermented beers as well as those with a higher alcohol content.  These include such beers as lambics, imperial stouts, and Trappist ales.

Most beers (such as IPAs and pale lagers) are not good candidates to cellar. 

ONLY CELLAR WHAT YOU LIKE TO DRINK

Only what you enjoy drinking.  If you don’t enjoy geuze, then a cellar full of bottles of geuze will be a waste of your time and efforts.  Only cellar beer that you will actually drink.

YOU CAN’T DRINK THEM (UNTIL THEY’RE READY)

One of the biggest challenges you will face when starting a beer cellar is to avoid drinking them.  Resist the urge to drink the beers you have dedicated to your cellar until they have spent time in the cellar.  Otherwise, it’s just another beer storage system for drinking in the near term. 

BUY A FEW AT A TIME AND BUILD YOUR COLLECTION FROM THERE

When starting a beer cellar, it is important that you build your collection slowly and methodically.  Buying a few extra “cellar-able” beers at a time will help you build your collection while keeping it manageable.  It is very easy to go out and overspend and purchase too many bottles that you’re incapable of storing correctly.  Starting slow and gradually building your cellar will help you learn as you go and give you the chance to try it out before you overcommit.

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