A West Berkeley taproom devoted entirely to sour beers, which Roger loved for a knowledgeable staff and a range from bold dark sours to bright golden ones, paired with the kitchen's one food item: grilled cheese.
The Rare Barrel's Parker Street taproom is listed as closed on Yelp; the brand and Berkeley facility were acquired by Cellarmaker Brewing in late 2022. This page keeps Roger's 2015 review as a record, not as a place to visit.
Yelp — The Rare Barrel (Berkeley) listed as closed (2026-09-18) ↗This page is kept as part of the dated record. The order notes below describe the place as Roger recommended it, not as it operates today.
From Roger’s camera roll
Source-backed notes
Checked in 2 times on Yelp and Swarm, most recently Apr 12, 2015. See the check-in log
“Rare sour beers that you can't find anywhere else.”
One of the few microbreweries Roger has found that specializes purely in sours; staff are highly knowledgeable and steer you toward flavors you'd like. No flights, but you can get splashes ranging from bold dark fruity sours to tart golden ones. He suggests eating first since the only food is grilled cheese, and picking up a bottle of the Ensorcelled dark sour to go.