Photos: Inside The Rare Barrel

Alex Wallash (left) and Jay Goodwin started homebrewing in college. Along with Brad Goodwin, they founded The Rare Barrel in 2013. Photo by Jon Page.

The Rare Barrel is located in Berkeley, CA, where Co-founder Alex Wallash said the climate is ideal for aging beers. Photo by Jon Page.

As of early July, The Rare Barrel had approximately 800 barrels at its Berkeley location. Co-founder Jay Goodwin said there is room for a total of 1,500 barrels. Photo by Jon Page.

Jay Goodwin pours a sample of a gold sour beer. The Rare Barrel contract brews its base beers at local breweries in the Bay Area and handles fermentation and blending at its Berkeley location. Photo by Jon Page.

Jay Goodwin, who worked at The Bruery for four years, oversees blending at The Rare Barrel. Photo by Jon Page.

Alex Wallash oversees sales and marketing at The Rare Barrel. Photo by Jon Page.

In the September issue of All About Beer Magazine, Alex Wallash talks about the challenges of being a brewery devoted entirely to sour beer. For people new to sour beer, he recommends the three-sip rule: “Let someone know that the first sip is going to shock your palate, the second sip is going to start drawing you in, and by the third sip you should start tasting the beer as it should be tasted.” Photo by Jon Page.

The Rare Barrel bottles a limited amount of its beers on a monthly basis. Cellarman Matt Foster inspects each bottle after labeling. Photo by Jon Page.

Samir Safi of Fremont, CA, holds a bottle of Proportional Response—an amber sour beer aged in oak barrels—outside of The Rare Barrel in Berkeley. Safi waited in line for nearly two hours on May 17 to buy the beer. Photo by Jon Page.