What are the Best Beer Clubs Available Today? Feeling like crackin' open a cold one to relax at the end of the day? Looking forward to your favorite lite, dark, or IPA? Beer is the most widely enjoyed alcoholic drink worldwide, and right now there are over 100 varieties of beer, ales, lagers, and more on the market. In one recent study, statistics showed that 79% of all beer consumed in the US was produced within the US as well. Another study by the US Tax and Trade Bureau revealed there are over 14,000 unique breweries in the US alone. And, you guessed it, lots of them offer beer clubs.
Good
If you're a fan of the finer stuff, you might prefer subscribing to a beer club with a little more pizazz. The Rare Beer Club is another club offered by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, and it focuses entirely on rare craft beers that only use high-quality ingredients and offer unique and experimental flavors. The beers are selected by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club's tasting panel, which includes 100+ years of industry experience in judging top beers.
Decide how many rare bottles you want
Unlike some of the other beer clubs available at Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, there are three ways to sign up for your Rare Beer Club subscription. You can choose from a 2-bottle shipment, a 4-bottle shipment, or a 6-bottle shipment. You also tell the site whether this purchase will be a gift, and how many shipments you want to sign up for or send to a loved one. You can choose from 2-12 shipment purchases or choose an open-ended ongoing membership that charges every month. Finally, you choose your starting date and frequency of delivery (every month, every other month, or quarterly).
2-6 bottles per shipment with customized choices
All of the shipments include 750 mL bottles of "artisanal" and limited-release beers from two different brewers around the world. Since this beer club is a level up from other clubs offered by Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, you get some extra perks. For example, the Personal Shipment Program promises that you can customize your boxes. You can add more bottles to orders or replace one or several of your bottles with past favorites. So, what's in your box is ultimately up to you with the Rare Beer Club.
32 a-la-carte beers
If you want to buy beer a-la-carte, you can grab one of 32 different beers across the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club outside of your Rare Beer Club membership. This is a slightly smaller menu than we've seen at other beer clubs in our review, but it's still got some unique finds. If you're curious about which ones might pop up in your beer club shipments, we researched past boxes to find some fun beers to give you an idea of the variety:
Prices from $45.95 to $89.95 per month
The cost for the different shipments of Rare Beer Club depends on how many bottles you want in each order. For 2 bottles, you're looking at $45.95 per month. 4 bottles are $67.95 per month, and 6 bottles cost $89.95 per month. These do not include the cost of shipping which is $15 for 2 bottles, $19 for 4 bottles, and $25 for 6 bottles. If you'd like to prepay for a gift, the cost ranges from $121.90 for 2 months of 2-bottle boxes up to $1,379.49 for 12 shipments of 6 bottles. The prepaid costs do include shipping, helpfully.
Takes a little digging to find cancellation policies
If you're thinking about joining the Rare Beer Club from the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club and want the flexibility to cancel, you'll want to keep the cancellation policy in mind. If you're paying monthly, you're good to stop anytime. But when you look at the cancellation rules for prepaid plans, the FAQ isn't totally clear. When we reached out to the support team, we learned that if you choose to prepay for more than two months, you'll need to complete at least three months before you can cancel. It would be more helpful if this was made clearer before you buy. Still, the site offers a guarantee that any beer that gets damaged during delivery will be replaced at no charge.
Praise for rarity and quality
Many of the customer reviews for Rare Beer Club are on the website itself, with around 102 testimonials. Almost all of these are 5 stars, earning Rare Beer Club a 4.8-star average out of 5 and high praise for the quality of the curated rare beers. Finding the Better Business Bureau score for this company was a little more difficult. Rare Beer Club is managed by the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, which in turn is owned by the parent company Monthly Clubs. On the bright side, Monthly Clubs has a stellar "A+" rating and accreditation from the BBB. However, we're still missing other third-party reviews from trusted sites like Trustpilot or Sitejabber.
Best for those who need something new
Rare Beer Club is a solid choice if you want new beers that you can't find anywhere else. However, the cost is quite high, so for many who just want to try some new beer, Rare Beer Club might be a little over the top. But if you are looking for something to shake you out of the boring old everyday beer rut, this is worth a look. With high praise and an "A+" rating from the BBB, Rare Beer Club is a subscription you can trust. Just be careful about the cancellation policy and subscribe for a shorter period if you want to be able to cancel.
Continued from above...
Feeling like crackin' open a cold one to relax at the end of the day? Looking forward to your favorite lite, dark, or IPA? Beer is the most widely enjoyed alcoholic drink worldwide, and right now there are over 100 varieties of beer, ales, lagers, and more on the market. In one recent study, statistics showed that 79% of all beer consumed in the US was produced within the US as well. Another study by the US Tax and Trade Bureau revealed there are over 14,000 unique breweries in the US alone. And, you guessed it, lots of them offer beer clubs.
So, what is a beer club, and why join one? These are awesome membership-based services that let you subscribe and get beer delivered directly to your home. These clubs include tons of exciting new brews from around the US (and sometimes they include international flavors as well). Whether you're new to beer and want to try as many types as you can or you're getting bored with your local store selection and want to shake up your game nights a bit, these clubs are great for getting new beers in your fridge ASAP.
With shipments that range from monthly to quarterly or prepaid subscriptions you can send as a gift, there are tons of ways to enjoy beer clubs. Beer clubs are more than just drinking (but don't worry, you get to enjoy that crisp refreshing beer and a buzz too) - you can also learn about the beers and the craft of brewing when you become a member. Whether you're just trying to discover more about your favorite drink or thinking about trying to home-brew some beer, joining a beer club can give you a solid education on tasting notes and the brewing process.
Other benefits of joining a beer club include getting access to limited edition beers not sold directly to regular customers or experiencing new creations from microbreweries (which are small-scale breweries that make less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year, and they focus on creative brewing techniques with a hands-on approach). Whatever your favorite way to enjoy beer, you can find it at a top-rated beer club.
If you're not sure where to look first to get your next pint, don't worry - we've done the research for you, including a list of factors to help you narrow down your favorite beer clubs and breweries:
To help you find the best beer for your next sports game party or late-night relaxation, Top Consumer Reviews has researched and ranked the most popular beer clubs available today. This way, you can sit back and enjoy a pint (or two) as your new membership ships your next adventure in beer right to your door!
Compare Any 2 Products
What to Expect From a Beer-of-the-Month Club
There are clubs for reading books and clubs for learning to stitch, so why not a club that focuses on beer?
Beer-of-the-month clubs are designed to bring consumers a variety of beer straight to their doorsteps each month at a group rate, making it affordable and convenient. If you like beer, it is an ideal way to try a number of brands and flavors without ever having to leave the comfort of your home.
However, the number of beer-of-the-month clubs offered online is staggering and can leave the consumer confused as to which club would best fit their needs. So how does one select the ideal beer club?
First and foremost, do you like domestic or foreign, micro-brewed or mass-produced? Are you adventurous and enjoy trying new things, or would you prefer to stick with what you know and love? Once a decision is made about the kind of beer that is preferred, those preferences can be used to select a club which fits your taste criteria.
Next, decide how much you can reasonably spend for a membership. Most beer-of-the-month clubs offer several options when joining. Subscribers can select original flavors, which would consist of the kinds of beers most commonly sold on tap and by the bottle. These selections generally are pulled from various microbreweries in the United States. This kind of basic membership is the least expensive at around $20-25 per month depending on the club. However, for those who truly enjoy beer, an original selection may be a bit boring.
Other memberships, which include both domestic and foreign beers, often are the most tantalizing to the beer connoisseur, but also are the most costly at around $40 per month. It should be noted that the monthly membership fees do not include shipping and handling charges, which can range between $12-15 per shipment.
For the most elite beer drinkers, there also are several clubs which offer rare brands of beers, including limited-release brands by Elevation Brewing Co. and Jolly Pumpkin. These beers are not for the faint of heart. Creatively-prepared, they often can be placed in a traditional wine cellar and aged for a more refined taste.
Some clubs ship several times a month, so the additional shipping and handling can add up. Be sure to include the estimated cost of shipping when determining your beer-of-the-month club budget.
If you've never belonged to a beer-of-the-month club before, it might be a good idea to read reviews about each club out there, or ask friends and family for recommendations. Some clubs are members of the Better Business Bureau, which provides the customer with an extra layer of protection should they be dissatisfied with their club membership and unable to obtain a reasonable resolution to their grievance through the club itself.
Lastly, a smart thing to do when signing up as a member of any club is to fully read and review the terms of service, as well as the membership agreement. Some clubs require a minimum membership term, usually around three months. This is the minimum amount of time the member agrees to be in the club and pay the monthly dues and fees. Some also offer payment options and automatic-renewal options. Be clear on what the terms are before agreeing to them in order to avoid being deadlocked into an expensive club you may not be able to afford.
Top Products.
Top Reviews.
Top Consumer Reviews.
Reviews
Browse through thousands of reviews.
Social Media
Like us? Follow us! We'd love to have you join our community.
Newsletter
Stay up to date with the latest reviews. We'll keep you informed, and we'll never sell your information to anyone.
