Cellador Ales

My friends and I have been a big fan of this brewery for years. A bunch of my friends used to be members in their old location in the valley. They still could be members. I'm just not sure. They specialize in barrel-fermented sour beers here. Although personally, I can't say those are my favorite types of bears, I found plenty of them from this place that I really enjoyed. The folks here are very friendly, and I think a few of my friends are personal friends of the people here. The vibe was super chill on my visit.This was my first trip to the new location and it was for a special raclette night - which they have from time to time and I missed the last one at the old location. I ordered the raclette platter (potatoes, caramelized onions, mushrooms, pickled peppers) with prosciutto. it was so delicious and especially for a very reasonable price. I got to enjoy it with some of their beers which pair really well. I even got to try one of their newer beers that they just produced and was less acidic and sour than their usual offerings. I really enjoyed that one a lot!

Cellador has long been a top-rated brewery amongst beer fans/snobs, but their niche is very particular: They produce barrel-fermented sour beers, so if you're looking for a hard seltzer, Czech pilsner, or triple imperial pastry stout, this isn't the brewery for that. Cellador's current location on Del Amo Boulevard in Torrance is not a taproom; there's no place to drink here. To be honest, it's barely even a sales location. From the large Smog City Brewing logo on the wall, one can likely surmise they are using capacity at a Smog City facility ― especially since Smog City's brewery and taproom are right across the parking lot. (That, and the first person who helped me here I later spotted worked at said taproom.) The owner came and spoke with me, and was very patient even as I admitted that I am not a big fan of sour beers and that I had not warmed well to one of Cellador's I had recently tried. Nonetheless, I did find something to purchase: a Lichtenhainer, a rare type of beer that has a lactic fermentation where the malt is smoked, so it's both smoky and sour. (It's an acquired taste, to be sure, but I love smoked beers.) While their style may not be my thing, I respect Cellador's devotion to their craft, and the owner is a really nice guy, too. I wish them the best, and while they may not be in my beer strike zone, I'll keep trying them to see what they're doing.