- Best Beer Subscription Boxes and Delivery Services - August 26, 2021
Are you a lover of beer and all things related to beer?
If you said “yes”, it may be time for you to check out a beer subscription box. Beer subscription boxes are wonderful gifts to receive in the mail, every single month (or every few months, where you prefer). I mean, what could bring you more joy than opening up a box filled with surprise types of beer?
And if you aren’t a huge fan of beer, you’re likely here because you’re shopping around for a beer subscription box to give someone else. Beer subscription boxes are a great thing to use as a gift idea, especially if you’re shopping around for a gift for someone else who has everything! They make a special and unique gift that just keeps on giving.
But, there’s one thing about beer subscription boxes that nobody ever tells you. And that’s why I’m here to break the news to you. Not all beer subscription boxes are made equally.
That’s right – there are some companies out there who do the bare minimum to scrape by with sending out a beer subscription box that honestly shouldn’t be called a beer subscription box.
Plus, there are so many different types of beer subscription box themes that you can find inside of a subscription. There are some companies that focus on only sending our craft beers. Other companies focus on only gluten-free beer. And others don’t even send any beer your way, only beer gear.
So, how do you narrow down your options to find the beer subscription box for you (or the person you’re shopping for)? Well, that’s what I’m here to break down for you today. We’re going to dive together into the world of beer subscription boxes and beer delivery services. Let’s get to it!
Our Criteria
Please don’t think we chose the beer subscription boxes in this article at random. We actually used careful criteria to help us decide upon the selections that we made in this guide. Here’s how we chose each of the beer subscription boxes and delivery services included in this guide:
Affordability
We chose all of the subscription boxes in this guide based on affordability. That doesn’t mean we chose the cheapest options available.
Instead, we went through all of the services/products offered in a subscription, as well as how much is being charged for the subscription, to ensure it was worth the money. We did careful research to ensure you aren’t getting ripped off with any of these subscription boxes!
Availability
We made sure to include subscription boxes that were available to a large group of people. You won’t find any beer subscription boxes in this guide that were only available to a small town of people. We want to make sure that everyone who reads this guide is able to find a beer subscription box that’ll make them happy!
Positive experiences
We also made sure that a large portion of the customers who ordered a subscription box from one of these companies had positive experiences with the company.
While we had a positive experience with every single company listed in this guide, we wanted to make sure other people did too. That way, you can ensure that you’re going to be investing your money in an overall great company.
Best Beer Subscription Boxes and Delivery Services
Now that you have a better idea of how we chose the subscription boxes in this list, it’s time to get to the fun part! Let’s take a look at the best beer subscription boxes and delivery services on the market:
The Original Craft Beer Club – $42/month
The Original Craft Beer Club will send you a variety of twelve beers in your box. Inside of every box you receive from The Original Craft Beer Club, you’ll get four different types of craft beers.
And these four different types of craft beer will come from two independent breweries. In total, you’ll get twelve beers, which means you’re getting a whole lot of variety inside of your box. Broken down, you’re basically paying $3.50 per beer you receive in the box.
The payments for this subscription box will come around the middle of the month. So, you can expect your The Original Craft Beer Club box to come to your doorstep around the end of the month. You can choose between monthly delivery, bi-monthly, monthly, and quarterly subscription options.
Plus, you can request there to be specific accommodations made to your subscription box, you can do so. You just have to call up the company to request to have specific types of beers excluded. I love that the company offers gifts to you for the length of time that subscribe to their subscription box. For example, if you receive six shipments from The Original Craft Beer Club Box, you’ll receive a free beer bottle opener and coasters!
Continue reading our full Craft Beer Club review.
Pros
- Great variety inside of beers inside of the subscription box
- Customizable delivery plan
- Gift box options are available, as long as you’re willing to pay a little more
- Free gifts
- Affordable
- Access to beers from all over the USA
Cons
- Shipping takes a little bit of time
- The website for The Original Craft Beer Club isn’t updated, so it’s a little bit difficult to navigate
The Rare Beer Club – $37.95 – $73.95/month
The Rare Beer Club has several subscription options for people who have a variety of budgets to work with. If you just want to try The Rare Beer Club out, you can receive two bottles in your box for $37.95 a month, with $15 shipping and handling.
Another option they offer is to receive four bottles in your subscription box, which is $56.95 plus $19 shipping and handling. The last subscription option they offer is six bottles for $73.95 a month, plus $24 shipping and handling.
Each of the bottles you receive in your subscription box from The Rare Beer Club will be 750 ml. All of the bottles will be rare beers, meaning that they’re artisanal beers that are hand-crafted and are limited release.
Plus, some of the beers you’ll receive in your subscription are international beers. Depending on the subscription you choose, you can get up to three different styles of beer from each brewery that’s featured inside of the subscription.
But, that’s not all that you get with your subscription. You’ll also receive a monthly newsletter from The Rare Beer Club, which will include suggested food pairings for each of your subscription options.
You’ll also receive information about the history of the brewery that you’re receiving your bottles from. In addition, you’ll get information about the profiles of the beers and you’ll get tasting notes that you can expect to experience from the beers.
Plus, you’ll also get a bottle opener as a free gift once you receive three shipments from them. You can choose how often you want your shipments delivered. You’ll have the choice to choose between monthly deliveries, bi-monthly deliveries, and quarterly deliveries.
Also, you can choose to pay for your subscription with The Rare Beer Club all at once or per shipment.
Pros
- Rare beers featured in this subscription
- You get fun history information inside of your subscription
- Free gifts inside of your subscription
- You can choose how often you want your delivery
Cons
- You have to pay for shipping
- Expensive
Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club – $44.95/month
Do you want to support a family-owned small business that focuses on sending you unique domestic microbrews in your subscription?
The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club focuses on sending you fresh and high-quality beers in their subscription. From what I understand, they send our beers with higher ABVs during the spring and summer months, as it makes it easier for the beers to withstand shipping temperatures that are higher.
But, you should know that there are five different subscription options that the Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club offers. Plus, they offer customizations on the selections you made, meaning your subscription box experience with The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club offers completely unique to you.
The membership options they offer have twelve beers per box. You’ll get four different styles of beer inside of your Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, while receiving three bottles of each box.
Pros
- Family-owned business
- Option to completely customize your box, to make it unique to you
- You receive 12 bottles inside of each box, costing you $3.75 a bottle
- Comes with gifting options available
- No membership fees
Cons
- Shipping and handling cost is $15
- Doesn’t ship to Alaska, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Utah, and Hawaii
- Limited customer service options
Hop-Heads Beer Club – $34.95/month
Want to get craft beer delivered to your front door? Hop-Heads Beer Club is a great way to introduce more IPAs into your life. Inside of each subscription box, you’ll receive 12 hoppy brews. Each of the beers that are inside of your box has been selected by beer experts that have years of experience in the beer industry.
Once you agree to sign up to a subscription box for at least two months, you can expect to receive your subscription box around the 20th of the month. You’ll get 12, 12-ounce bottles of hoppy beers from both international breweries and craft microbreweries located in the United States.
So, you’ll be getting four different varieties of beers, with three bottles of each inside of your box. You can expect to find Red Ales, Double IPAs, IPAs, and India Pale Lagers inside of your box.
Pros
- The cost per bottle is $4.16
- All of the bottles are hand-selected by an industry service, so you’re paying for quality beer and expert insight
- Easy to contact customer service
- Secure shipment packaging
Cons
- You have to subscribe for at least two months
- Doesn’t ship to Utah, Mississippi, Delaware, Alaska, Alabama, Hawaii, Kentucky, Nebraska
- $15 shipping and handling
- No international shipping
Beer Across America – $39/month
Beer Across America has been around for 25 years, if you’re looking for a company that has many years of experience in the beer subscription industry!
Every month, you’ll get access to beers inside of your subscription box that comes with an American craft brewery. Every subscription box you receive will have 12 bottles of beer in it, with four different types of beer.
One of the coolest things about this subscription box is that the beers will come from two different craft breweries that have won awards.
What sets this subscription apart is you’ll have the option to look at your upcoming subscription online and what’s going to be included in it. If you don’t like what’s inside of the subscription, you can choose the skip over the month you’re going to receive.
Plus, you’ll get free shipping on all of your boxes. And you’ll also receive tracking information on your boxes, so you can get an idea of when the boxes will be coming to your door. You are charged for your box at the beginning of the month, so you can expect to get your subscription towards the middle of the month.
Pros
- Free shipping
- Beers that come from award-winning breweries
- Cancel your subscription at any time, no questions asked
- You can choose to extend your membership for as long as you want
- Get a free pro bottle opener inside of your box
Cons
- You get a lot of double IPAs in your box, which is a negative if you’re not a big fan of this type of beer
First Sip Brew Box – $24.99 – $59.99/month
Are you unsure if you want to dedicate to getting beer delivered to your home every month, but want to get beer-related merch? This subscription box can be a monthly delivery of a gift box for the beer enthusiast in your life.
Inside of each month’s box, you’ll receive a bunch of different gear for beer from a different brewery. You can expect to receive stickers, snacks, clothes, condiments, food, swag, glasses, and other types of beer merch in your bag.
Also, your card will be charged at the beginning of the month for your subscription, but you can expect to get your box delivered to your door around the middle of the month.
Pros
- Ships internationally
- A different brewery is featured inside of the box, so you’ll get exposed to a bunch of small businesses
- Gives you the ability to support a small business
Cons
- Shipping rates change depending on where you live
FAQs
Question: Are Beer and Lager the Same Thing?
Answer: Yes, beer and lager are the same thing! Lager is a type of beer, but it’s referred to as ‘lager’ because of how it’s brewed. When translated from German, lager means “storage”, which is a step in the brewing process of lager.
For lager to be made, it’s slowly fermented at low temps. Think of beer as the umbrella term for a type of drink, whereas lager is a specific name for a type of beer.
Question: Are Beer and Ale the Same Thing?
Answer: Just like the question above, ales are a type of beer. An ale is created through a process referred to as “top fermentation”, which is when the liquid in the fermentation process is fermented from the top to the bottom, rather than the bottom to the top like lager is. There are cooler temperatures used to ferment ale.
Question: Can Beer Go Bad?
Answer: Yes, beer can go bad! When beer goes bad, it doesn’t become unsafe for your drink. However, it will have a flat taste to it and some types of beers may even taste bad.
For beer to be properly packaged, there needs to be a small amount of oxygen inside of the can or bottle. This is because oxygen helps to support the flavors in the beer.
But, exposure to warmer temperatures makes the oxygen in the bottles and cans go stale. This is why it’s so important for you to keep your beer cold to help keep it fresher for longer.
So Which Subscription Box is the Winner?
The Original Craft Beer Club is the winner for being the best subscription box, in our opinion! This subscription box is not only affordable but there’s an awesome assortment of beers inside of each month.
Each bottle of beer will cost you $3.50, when you break down the total cost of the subscription box per beer. Also, you can get free gifts inside of your box!
So, if you’re looking for a beer subscription box that makes a great gift for a loved one or a way to spoil yourself every month, you should definitely check out The Original Craft Beer Club. You won’t be disappointed!