Where Can You Find the Best Beer Clubs?
Why have beer clubs become so popular? You might be surprised. For starters, monthly beer clubs provide a consistent and reliable way to try out new and unique beer styles that may not be readily available at local stores or bars. This allows members to broaden their horizons and experience the diversity of the craft beer world.
Another advantage of a monthly beer club is the convenience it provides. Members receive a regular supply of curated beers, saving them time and effort in researching and purchasing new beers on their own. This can be particularly valuable for people who don't have access to a wide range of beers in their local area. Beer clubs typically ship their beers directly to the member's home, which means that they don't even need to leave their house to try delicious new flavors.
Wednesday, December 6th
2023 Beer Club Reviews
U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club
One of the longest running clubs on our list, and one of the most consistent quality, the U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club provides a nice shipment of 12 beers every month, blind tested by a panel of brewers and beer critics. Sitting at the intersection of reasonable price and well-reviewed beer, the U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club is the best on our list if you're seeking both quality and variety, without compromising your budget.
Hops Head Beer Club
A hop-forward offering from the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, the Hop-Heads Beer Club is dedicated to the delightful variety of hop-forward beers, both domestic and international. With clear and reasonable pricing, and a strong theme, this club is one of the best on our list, and a perfect choice for the hop-loving beer connoisseur.
City Brew Tours
With its roots in leading in-person brew tours, City Brew Tours offers a monthly, city-specific taste of the U.S. in their curated beer club. Unlike clubs that send an indiscriminate selection of beers, City Brew Tours ships you a representation of each city's beer scene (complete with info and extras). While plenty of boxes are themed, few celebrate the regional diversity of the U.S. beer scene quite like City Brew Tours, and that's a big part of the reason they've earned excellent marks in our review.
U.S. and International Variety Beer Club
For those looking for the greatest regional variety, look no further than the U.S. and International Variety Beer Club (it's in the name). Offered by Microbrewed Beer of the Month, the U.S. and International Variety Beer Club combines elements from their domestic and international clubs, ensuring you get a nice sample of worldwide and U.S. styles.
Rare Beer Club
The Rare Beer Club is undeniably the fanciest club on our list. Specializing in 750ml bottles of the highest-quality beer, this subscription is perfect for those looking to add some variety or to start their own beer cellar. The high quality is reflected in the price, however, and this club is definitely not for those looking for a selection of easy-drinking afternoon beers.
International Beer Club
An internationally-themed Beer Club for the explorative palate, the International Beer Club is perfect for those looking to explore old-world flavors on their own home soil. While containing slightly less variety than some domestic offerings, the International Beer Club is a high-quality, reasonably priced club that is sure to provide some welcome additions to your beer fridge.
Beer Drop
With Beer Drop, customization is key, and their club recommends craft beers based on your chosen tastes. You can get 5-10 cans per month and there's no long-term commitment when you subscribe. However, their brewery range may be more limited, as Beer Drop only offers beers from their list of partnered breweries.
Amazing Clubs
Amazing Clubs' beer club could be more accurately named a "pretty dang good" club. With good customer service and 12 bottles of four award winning or well-reviewed styles per month, you'll be guaranteed a nice selection of beer. However, other clubs on our list offer more customizable or specialized selections, so keep that in mind.
Beer of the Month Club
The Beer of the Month Club has an unassuming name for an unassuming product. There's nothing really wrong with this club, but there's not much to celebrate either. With standard pricing and poor documentation of their selection process and previously chosen beers, we recommend you look elsewhere, even if you are looking for a boilerplate beer club.
The Original Craft Beer Club
At $47.95 per month for the base plan, the Original Craft Beer Club is one of the more budget-friendly clubs on our list. There's no specific theming to what you'll get in your box of four styles of beer from two select breweries in 12- or 24-bottle shipments. And, they provide little information on how they choose their beers, so how they determine the quality of their club is something of a mystery. With so little information on selection, and a subscription only payment style, the Original Craft Beer Club likely isn't for you.
Continued from above...
Also, a monthly beer club can provide a sense of anticipation and excitement. Members look forward to the arrival of their monthly shipment, eager to discover new beers and expand their knowledge and experience of beer. Many beer clubs include detailed information about the beers they offer, including the brewing process, the ingredients used, and the history of the beer. This anticipation can add to the enjoyment of the experience, making it a fun and engaging way to explore the world of beer.
Here's a fun fact about beer to get you started: some anthropologists theorize that the shift from a hunter-gatherer society to sedentary farming was partially caused by one key technological innovation. That would be brewing!
These days, if we want a drink, we only need to decide whether we'll drive to the local bottle shop, or join in a growing trend and have it shipped right to our door. Since the 90's, monthly beer clubs have been an increasingly popular way to gift or receive expert-curated beer. So whether you're looking to explore new beer styles, discover the unexpected, or gift the same to a friend, family, co-worker or acquaintance, now is an excellent time to take advantage of the diversity of modern brewing, and explore something fresh with a monthly beer club.
There are, however, quite a number of beer clubs out there, and it can be difficult to compare them all. Some specialize in the highest quality (and highest priced) craft beer experiences, others offer interesting stylistic or regional themes, still others just ship you 12 good beers with no frills about it. After surveying the best (and a few of the rest), Top Consumer Reviews has found some key points to look for as you make your choice:
- Theme: Look for how they theme their club. You could get 12 beers from the supermarket for a whole lot less than a beer club; a carefully-selected theme, however, can make a beer club both exciting and informative, so be sure to check for an interesting way that they tie it all together from month to month.
- Quality Assurance: Anyone can put beer in a box and call it a day. It takes an expert, however, to curate based on taste, and if you're paying for a beer club you should expect no less. Be sure to look for information on how a club chooses their beers, not just what beers they send.
- Past Selections: Some of the best clubs on our list let you know exactly what beers are in an upcoming box, and exactly what they've chosen in the past. If they aren't telling you these things... then it's probably a good idea to look critically at any claims to quality.
- Extras: While secondary to the beer itself, some of our favorite clubs include gifts and interesting tidbits with your monthly shipment. When comparing similar offerings, any added extras may very well be the determining factor.
While many clubs seem similar, not all are up to the mark. At Top Consumer Reviews, we have searched with an eye for the interesting, intriguing, and quality-consistent, to find only the best Beer Clubs to fill your fridge. Whatever your specific tastes, we are certain you'll find a club that fits yours. Cheers!
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