What are the Best Beer of the Month Clubs in 2023? | Homebrew Academy

I’m on a mission to explore and find the best beer of the month clubs.

This page contains my reviews of the best beer clubs, past selections, and my a few samplings of the beers from those clubs.

It will be continually updated as I try more monthly beer clubs and drink more of their beer (fun job, eh?).

Let’s get started drinking…

Mục Lục

The Original Beer Club vs. The Rare Beer Club

Watch this video comparison and learn what makes a beer club worth joining.

I’ll give more details below all five beer clubs that I’ve personally evaluated.

The top picks mentioned above are the first two listed just below.

Below that are some specialty craft clubs worth exploring.

The Original Craft Beer Club

Link: The Original Craft Beer Club | Our Review

What’s Included?: Twelve 12oz. bottles. There are three bottles of four different beers, from two breweries. Bonus gifts are available depending on the subscriptions length you choose.

Price: $42/month (Free Shipping and Bonus Gifts)

The Original Craft Beer Club is another club I tried out and can recommend as one of the best monthly beer clubs for any true beer lover.

The range of different styles of beer from craft breweries all over the nation is awesome. This particular package also came with a unique surprise.

When I opened the box there was a bottle opener, four bags of peanuts, and four tasting glasses included. Nice icing on the cake to go along with the tasty craft brews.

Rare Beer Club – C&H Monthly Clubs

Link: Rare Beer Club | Our Review

What’s Included?: Two different 750ml bottles of rare beers. Multiples of 2 can be ordered at a higher cost.

Price: All prices include shipping
Two 750 ml bottles – $44.95/month
Four 750 ml bottles – $66.95/month
Six 750 ml bottles – $86.95/month

Michael Jackson’s Rare Beer Club is a unique beer of the month club. It focuses on more extreme craft beer styles from all over the world.

Instead of the typical 12 pack of 12 oz. bottles you get in most beer club memberships, in this club you get two 750ml bottles.

I’m a member of this club and highly recommend it.

Here’s more info:

Rare Beer Club Prices:

Two 750ml bottles per month: $31.95 per month plus $13 shipping and handling
Four 750ml bottles per month: $51.95 per month plus $15 shipping and handling
Six 750ml bottles per month: $68.95 per month plus $18 shipping and handling

What you get:

Two different beers, each a different style. They are delivered between the 20th-27th of every month in well-packed boxes made especially for holding 750ml bottles. The package also comes with a paper description for each beer.

They are double sided include the beer and brewery description, stories related to the beer’s background, proper glassware and serving temperature, and food pairing ideas.

My Thoughts:

Having tested a bunch of beer of the month clubs and after reveiwing my tasting notes, the rare beer club is my favorite and the only one I’ve stayed subscribed to after the testing period ended. For me to spend the extra money, a beer of the month club has to provide additional value compared to what I can get at the local beer store.

The other 12-pack clubs did not provide that. They were too expensive and the quality of beer did not justify the price. I could obtain better beer locally for much cheaper.

The Rare Beer Club is different because I could not normally get most of these beer styles. Many of them are from breweries I would have never even heard of if it wasn’t for the Rare Beer Club. Not only is the beer excellent, but I’m now aware of these breweries and will keep them on my radar for more good stuff down the line.

Let’s talk price, since that was the biggest barrier to me staying a member. $45 is not cheap for two bottles of beer. For a Bud drinker it is unheard of, but even fore myself it’s more than I usually pay for two bottles. It’s not crazy though.

One of my favorite breweries, Odell, sells 750’s locally for $20-$25. I know the beer is top notch, so I buy it. Not all of the Rare Beer selections are top notch, but they are rarely less than very good and if you consider that 750’s often sell for around $20, then the $45 becomes easier to justify.

Factor in shipping, the well-written newsletters that come with the package, and the chance to taste beers normally unattainable, and it becomes very easy to justify $45/month.

Of course $45 is still $45, so you might want to test it out for a couple months rather than paying for a longer term plan right off the bat. Personally, I have cut back on my local beer purchases to make room for this club.

If the quality of the beer ever declines or I start getting mass-distributed beers that I can easily get locally, then I will drop the club.

For now though, I’m a happy member and look forward to getting this monthly club box from the UPS man every single month.

More Monthly Beer Club Options:

Original Microbrewed Club

Link: Original Microbrewed Club | Our Review

What’s Included?: Twelve 12oz. bottles. There are three bottles of four different beers, from two breweries.

Price: $36.95/month (includes shipping)

Clubs of America Beer of the Month Club

microbrew-beer-club

Link: Great Clubs | Our Review

What’s Included?: Twelve 12oz. bottles. There are three bottles of four different beers, from two craft breweries.

Price: $36.95/month (includes shipping)

What Really Are Beer Subscription Boxes?

We all like to drink a beer to relax. On sunny beach days, beer is indispensable for a special evening. On cold days, a beer helps us to catch the heat and forget about low temperatures.

Traditionally, getting beers for any evening or weather is annoying. Typically, you have to go to the Super Market and buy it.

However, there is a new way to buy beer with the subscriptions of beer boxes. They are clubs, where you receive your beer by paying a monthly commission. The beers are of high quality and come in different versions. If you want to know more about this type of service, keep reading, and we will explain it to you.

What are the Best Beer Subscription Boxes?

Many associations or clubs perform this type of service. In this section, we will see the best associations and their main characteristics.

Craft Beer Subscription Boxes – This monthly club subscription of craft beers is one of the most requested. It’s a club formed by small craft breweries around the United States, and their shipment includes 12 bottles of 250ml craft beer.

The beer they provide is artisanal, of higher quality and with fewer chemicals than usual. The wide selection of beer styles changes continuously. They continuously develop several varieties in their boxes — one of the most recent contained Blue Pants Porter and Dick Danger Ale.

Wave Sandstorm – It allows you to edit the selection. As a customer, you can choose which beers you want in your box to avoid an unwanted model. It also allows you to access recipes that combine or use beers for free. The first shipment of beer will include three free beers.

Honest Brew Box Subscription – Here we have another club that will facilitate us the pacer of drinking beer. The delivery is of 12 beers per month.

The club has alliances with various commercial breweries. It is perfect for people who like diversity. You can request a variety of beers in your order.

There are different subscriptions in this monhtly club. Initially, you start as a regular customer. That gives you access to the great diversity of beers that they distribute. By registering Honest Brew box subscription, you can access discounts, coupons and many more rewards for your orders.

Bottoms Up Box – This subscription provides craft beers without chemicals. This beer is ideal for beer fans who enjoy varied and intense flavors. The beers are gluten-free. This service offers 12 beers per order. The subscription system involves a cost per shipment and sends a monthly magazine of beers and recipes.

The club offers several options to customers regarding the selection. You can order from 2 to 6 bottles of 750 ml. Another option is to change the selection. You can choose which editions you want and how many. In one order, you can have 1 to 6 types of beers.

Another advantage is that you can request the suspension of delivery for a month and add them to the next month — a convenient option for those who are planning to have a party.

Artisan Brew Club – If you like craft beers, intense flavors and surprises, this is the best option. The beers they offer are 100% handmade — the recipes used in its preparation change continuously.

That makes their beers different. Each edition is different from the others. They are offering greater exclusivity to the product.

The only negative characteristic is that they do not allow you to choose the selection. That means that you will get what they send you, period.

Hopsy Beer Club – It is a club from San Francisco which provides beer pack delivery services. The beers are typical of the club, or artisanal. They are of 32-ounce containers.

You can choose different versions of beers; you can also change the edition and the size of the beer. The change is made depending on the measurements and weight of the merchandise.

Deliveries are made biweekly or monthly. Each shipment has a 100% guarantee. If the order does not have the quality or does not give customer satisfaction, you can return it, and they will send you another one.

What’s the average price for a Good Monthly Beer Subscription service?

Each beer subscription club offers its delivery services. Depending on the characteristics, subscription prices may vary. In some cases, the costs include transportation.

In others, shipping is free, and only beers have valor. At this moment we will see the different prices and calculate the average of the same.

Craft Beer Subscription. –The subscription price of this club is $42. This subscription includes the shipment in this fee. The subscription consists of a series of home gifts, additional to beer. It includes accessories or more beers.

Honest Brew box subscription – The subscription price for this service is $41 for regular subscribers. The service is only provided in Ukraine and includes transportation. There is another type of subscriber in the market. The only requirement to obtain it is to register and pay the subscription in Honest Brew Bank.

By doing this, you will have discounts and promotions. The promotions are more beers in a shipment, a discount between 10 to 20%, accessories, among others.

Bottoms Up Box – The free subscription characterizes this club. This club does not charge for the subscription but the shipment of the merchandise. The cost of the box of beers with this club is $35. You can receive the beers biweekly. In a few words, you can spend between $ 35 to $ 70 a month with this club.

Rare Beer Club – The club allows its monly beer subscription with a low cost of $32.90. The price does not include other services such as insurance of the merchandise. It can vary, depending on the rates of the North American insurance market. Sometime they will give you a 10% discount loyalty reward, and you will receive them by email.

Artisan Brew Club – The artisan brew club group offers a very economical payment system. The payment you request for your services is $25 per month.

As we have seen in the previous clubs, prices range from $25 – $35. In the general average of fares, we can see in the North American market a cost of 30$. In some cases, they may contain additional services such as transportation or insurance.

In Europe, prices range from 20 to 30 euros. Prices vary depending on the country. For example, rates in Ukraine range from 30 to 40 euros. In Germany, the prices are at an average of 25 euros.

In Italy, they provide this service at around 28 euros. In this country, the vast majority includes transportation. Prices are static since all subscription prices include them.

In Spain, the prices of the service oscillate between 30 to 32 euros. They do not include additional services. Usually, you have to pay for separate transportation.

In Belgium, they offer a similar subscription service. It costs 26 euros per month and may have an additional surcharge if you want more beer in your order. Services such as transportation or insurance are in the cost of the package — a cheap service and quite tasty as Belgian beer.

In Bulgaria, the subscription service has an average of 29 euros. You can pay subscriptions monthly or every two months. These include the guarantee or insurance and transportation.

We have seen this service in different countries and clubs. This information helped us to conclude that the vast majority of monthly beer clubs have a registration price of approximately $ 30.

An economical price if we consider that the amount of beer ranges from 3 to 4 dollars per unit. If we multiply four by 12, it is $ 48. We saved $18 on exceptional service.

How many Beer Subscription Boxes or Beer of the Month clubs are there?

In the United States, many clubs or associations provide subscription services. We will organize them by state, then total them and know the total number of clubs in the United States.

In San Francisco, this type of business is booming. The clubs that are growing are:

Healthy Spirits
Plumpjack Wines
Ales Unlimited
Exclusive Beers
Sour Beer
Wild Ales
New Domestic Craft Beers
New Import Craft Beers
American Craft Beer Case

*All the associations above provide services in San Francisco only.

National Beer Subscription Beer Boxes

Craft Beer Club, is another club that manages its sales online. It owns several stores and distribution elements throughout the country, helping its distribution.

Clubs Of America Beer Club works online. It has a contract with the brewing companies. Use transport and distribution centers to manage and send the goods right to your door.

International Beer Club is a platform that works online and physically. It has several branches around the world, including the USA.

US / International, Micro Beer Club, Hop Heads IPA, Tavour, Clubs Galore, Amazing Clubs. All these clubs work online and with offices throughout the North American territory.

At the moment, there are 16 known beer subscription clubs in the United States. They are a few, yes, but what is the current market trend? Beer subscription clubs are on the rise.

These businesses are taking advantage of the technology and place the customer directly with the merchandise without them having to leave the house. It is a massive advantage that they are offering and they are on the rise, so much so, that sales of beers in other stores have dropped by 20%.

So if you think about it, there are around 16 well-known brands of beer clubs, and the statistics and projections are predicting a boost in this market. It is likely that by the end of 2019, there will be more than 100 types of companies in this field in the United States alone.

Another factor to consider in this field is foreign companies, which are entering the national market. Other countries such as Ukraine, England, Belgium and Germany, which are already famous for their beers, have these types of companies as well.

How long will it take for the North American market to be invaded by international companies? Let’s see how many booming companies abroad we have.

BeerBods and HonestBrew are Ukrainian companies, which have had exponential profit increases. They are in full international expansion across Europe, and soon they will be in North America.

Hop Burns & Black is a company located in Belgium. It has been in constant expansion throughout Europe. In its mission and vision, they state the goal their of a fermented beer distribution community on all continents.

Beer Merchants is an English company, which is now close to opening operations in North America. The English monthly beer subscription club has already expanded throughout Europe and is already opening new franchises in the United States

How to gift a Beer Subscription Box to a friend?

Many times we want to give something to a friend for a special occasion. A party, a wedding or graduation. For all those occasions, there is something that can not miss, and it is beer. It is the reason to affirm that there is no better gift than a box of beer for the occasion.

But how do you give a Beer Subscription Box to a friend? The answer to this question depends. Each company has different policies. We are going to study how you can send a box of beer for subscription to some companies in the USA.

Craft Beer Boxes – This subscription company allows you to send a subscription gift box to a friend in several ways. The first by email, you can notify the change of the address of your home to your friends or family’s address without needing to contact customer service.

The second way is more expensive but comfortable. You can give the subscription to your friend in an annual contract. That way they can ask for the same gift again next year!

Rare Beer Club – The Rare Beer Club provides several ways to distribute or send boxes of gift beers for friends. The first way is to notify a change of shipping address, along with the specifications of the shipment. The second way is to buy the subscription, paying the monthly payment for that shipment.

The third way is to notify customer service of an additional shipment. You will get additional charges for the payment of the next monthly fee. But for this surcharge, you will have given a great gift to someone dear, and a monthly beer box for yourself too.

Bottoms Up Box – This club is one of the simplest to make gifts of boxes of beers; The reason is that you do not pay by subscription, but you pay for each shipment. All you have to do is request an additional shipment. In the delivery, you must place the address and the types of beers you want to give away.

Another way is to do the registration for your friend and pay the shipping. There is an excellent reason to do this. As it is the first order, you will be given additional gifts such as accessories or more beers included.

Artisan Brew Club – The Artisan Group offers you several options to make a gift to a loved one. The first is for a change of address in the shipment. You can call or send an email to request the change. There is the option to give your friend or loved one a box with extra gifts.

There is a third option; In this, an additional box of beer will include delivery. The application generates a surcharge in the monthly payment. It gives you more options with discount coupons in the future.

Tavour – This club has three options to make a gift. The first one is to give the subscription as a gift. The second is to change your annual order so that they send it to someone else. The third, you can both request a new shipment, which will not have cost, but will be discounted the following month.

Beerdrop.com – new to the subscription game is Beerdrop. Featuring the cheapest shipping rates of any of the above services and the widest selection of micro-brews from all sorts of varieties of microbreweries. The easy to use app is nice feature to have too.

Wait?

If I brew my own beer at home, why would I join a club that sends me other peoples beer? Great Question.

To get inspired, to support other craft brewers, and to taste the beer that someday you can actually make for yourself! I’m sure there are plenty more reasons too. I know I love the one I’m in.

Still Can’t Decide?

The Original Craft Beer Club

4.7

For the craft beer drinker who enjoys trying a wide selection of brews & wants something easy drinking that is still tasty. Also prefers 12oz bottles to the big 750ml’s.

Learn More