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You already know that the craft beer industry has exploded over the years, and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. In fact, with thousands of craft breweries now scattered throughout the United States and Europe, there are thousands of unique craft beers just waiting to be tasted.
Whether it is for you, or a surprise gift for someone else, how could true beer lovers, or a passionate beer connoisseur possibly sample all the new beer styles that peak their interest without going to all the craft breweries or liquor stores on the planet?
A beer of the month club. That’s how.
When you become a member of a craft beer subscription box, you will be able to try new beer styles and varieties of the best beers that might not be available at your local liquor store or grocery store.
In fact, some of the craft beers you might receive might come from specialty breweries and not even be available to the general public… anywhere in the world.
Table of Contents
The Best Beer Of The Month Club Reviews
Every monthly craft beer club and beer subscription box on this list will send you (or a guest) monthly shipments of their best craft beer selections, not just from the United States, but from many countries throughout Europe as well.
Whether you prefer hoppy IPA craft beers, beer that is brewed domestically, beer brewed internationally, rare and hard to find beers, or a combination of all, you won’t have a problem finding the perfect beer club membership that you will love.
Who knows, you might just find your new favorite beer.
If you already know what club you are interested in, or don’t have the time to check out the beer clubs below, here are 8 of the best beer of the month clubs that you or someone special will love.
The U.S Microbrewed Beer Club
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Plus $15.00 Shipping & Handling
The U.S Microbrewed Beer Club is the original, formed way back in 1994, a.k.a. the ancient days of micro craft breweries. The beer professionals who run this club review over 500 different types of beer from all across the country, and less than 20% of those beers meet their standards for inclusion.
The craft beer choices that this club offers every month aren’t made at random: these experts attend festivals and meet with brewers across the country to continually find fantastic beer to share with their club members.
What Comes In The Box?
Each month you will get a total of twelve, 12 oz bottles of craft beers from breweries across the United States that are lightly distributed and not easy to find locally.
You will be receiving three beers of four different beer styles per month, and with each shipment, you will also get a monthly newsletter with beer and brewery profile, along with tasting notes. If you like a particular selection, you will always have the option to re-order while they are still available.
You can also get a free bartenders bottle opener when you order three or more months.
The U.S and International Variety Beer Club
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Plus $15.00 Shipping & Handling
A combination of the U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club and the International Beer Club, this club has the most variety of all the craft beer clubs on our list.
The beer selectors at this U.S. & International Variety Beer Club have decades-long relationships with brewmasters from craft breweries around the world, and are always looking for new seasonal brews and year round gems for their upcoming shipments.
What Comes In The Box?
The amount of beer that you get in this beer of the month club is setup just like the U.S Microbrewed Club, but the beer selections have some international craft beer mixed in, so you get to experience the best of both worlds.
Every shipment will contain the club newsletter with tasting notes and details of the included craft beers. You will get twelve bottles or cans of four different varieties of craft beer. Two will be from breweries within the United States and two different breweries from Europe. You will get to enjoy three 12 ounce bottles or cans each of the four different beer styles.
If you also choose a minimum of three shipments, you will also get a free bartenders bottle opener.
The Rare Beer Club is the most exclusive and unique beer club for beer enthusiasts on the Indiana Jones spectrum: hard to find and rare beers from around the world. This craft beer club was founded by the late, great beer critic Michael Jackson (not that Michael Jackson), and his legacy is honored by the breadth of rarities in this collection.
This unique club features hard-to-find, limited release artisanal beers, and offers domestic selections from the United States, and imported selections from Europe. There are no 12 ounce cans or bottles in this subscription box. All the beers are shipped in glass 750 ml bottles.
The club admins dig deep to find those quality beer gems that the true beer lovers rave about. If it’s from a Belgian monastery or a brewery in the Mexican desert, the Rare Beer Club has been there and sampled the beer.
What Comes In The Box?
When you join The Rare Beer Club, you will get to choose if you would like to receive two, four, or six big 750 ml bottled beers per month from two different breweries in the world. Depending on the subscription you choose, you will get either one, two, or three bottles from each brewery.
Also included in every box is a monthly newsletter with tasting notes, information about that months breweries and beers, and food pairing ideas to go with your beer.
And don’t forget to look for your free bartenders bottle opener when you sign up for three shipments or more.
The Hop Heads Beer Club - IPA Beer Club
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Plus $15.00 Shipping & Handling
Hops, hops, and more hops. That is what the Hop Heads Beer Club or IPA Beer Club is all about. Some beer drinkers love it, and some not so much, but If you are a huge IPA fan and enjoy hoppy beers, this IPA beer club definitely will not disappoint.
You won’t just get one or two different IPAs in your brew box. The subscription box covers different styles and just about every IPA you can think of.
Whether it’s IPAs, Double IPAs, Session IPAs, Imperial IPLs, Sessional IPLs, or other hoppy lager and ale beers, this club offers and focuses specifically on a variety of beers to please hop-forward fans.
What Comes In The Box?
Inside of the IPA craft beer club, you will get 12 oz selections of hoppy beers. You will be sampling four varieties of different beers. Your subscription box will either include cans or bottles with each order, and three different hop-forward beers.
Also, just like all of the subscriptions from MonthlyClubs, you also get the informative newsletter detailing the breweries and the beer itself, along with food pairing suggestions.
When you choose to have at least a three month Hop Heads beer club subscription box, you will also receive a bartenders bottle top opener for free.
The International Beer Of The Month Club
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Plus $15.00 Shipping & Handling
If you are a fan of exploring craft beer that is brewed outside of the USA only, this International Beer of the Month Club is what you are looking for.
Completely focusing on international beers from around world, these beers often come from breweries that are a few hundred years old.
Many of these breweries are located in classic brewing countries like Belgium, Germany, and England.
What Comes In The Box?
Each monthly shipment will include twelve, 12 oz bottles of imported beers per month from some of the best international breweries. You will get two different styles of beer, and six of each style.
If you would like more details about what country the imported selections from the beer subscription box came from, or more information about the brewery, it is all inside of the monthly newsletter, along with food pairing suggestions and tasting notes.
A bartenders bottle cap opener is included as a bonus for signing up for three months or more.
The Original Craft Beer Club is known for shipping some of the freshest and best craft beers out to their beer club members, and also includes FREE SHIPPING.
Once a beer is chosen to be included in a monthly shipment, the micobrewery will brew up a special batch of beer right before it’s shipped to the Original Craft Beer’s warehouse.
All beer selections are from the United States only, but they include breweries from just about every state in America.
Just so you have the most variety possible with this beer subscription, a chosen brewery will not be used again for at least 2 years. If the same brewery would be included again, you are guaranteed to receive a different style of beer.
What Comes In The Box?
Your beer box will come with twelve 12 ounce craft beers from two different breweries. There will be four styles of beer, and you will get three beers of each style.
And just like most clubs, you also get the newsletter with details about that months beer selections, brewery information, and food pairing recommendations.
Every membership will also include a 1-year subscription to Beer Connoisseur E-Magazine. There are up to 3 additional bonus gifts that will be included with other shipment levels.
Beer Drop Craft Beer Subscription Box
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Plus $7.00 Flat Rate Shipping
Beer Drop Beer Club is an exclusive monthly beer subscription box that delivers a wide selection of craft beers and special releases that are not available in every liquor store.
Once you join, you will see a preview of your first “Beer Drop”, which will allow you make some changes based on your membership level.
If you have specific tastes you are looking to satisfy, Beer Drop is one of the few craft beer clubs where you have complete control over the beer style you want to receive each month.
You can even bump a week, skip a month, pause, or cancel the membership at anytime.
What Comes In The Box?
Depending on which plan you choose, your shipment includes selections from 5 different microbreweries for a total of 10 twelve ounce cans. Other higher tier levels will receive 16 ounce cans and some 32 ounce crowlers from taproom exclusive.
And just like most beer subscriptions boxes, it also comes with detailed tasting notes and food pairings.
No there isn’t free shipping, but it has a flat shipping rate of only $7.00, no matter what size order you get.
Clubs of America - Beer of the Month Club
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Plus FREE Shipping
This Beer of the Month Club from Clubs of America ships their customers hand-selected craft beers from small American craft breweries.
The membership length can be for just two months, or you have the option to go for three, four, six months, or a full year.
You can decide if you want to receive a new shipment every month, every other month, or every three months.
What Comes In The Box?
Every months shipment will include twelve, 12 ounce bottles of craft beer from two or three different domestic microbreweries. Some of the beer styles you will get are Lagers, Ales, IPAs, Porters, Stouts, and Bocks. And of the 12 beers, you will always get four different varieties.
Each box will also include the “Beer Expedition” monthly newsletter. You can read up on that months featured breweries, and information on how to best enjoy your beer.
And no matter how long you choose to keep your membership active, every box includes FREE shipping.
How Are The Monthly Beer Selections Made?
Why would you want someone to choose what beers you get in your monthly shipments?
Because simply put, the experts who do the selection process just really love beer, just like I do. But these experts have tried a MUCH wider variety of beer than I ever have. They are professionals at the craft of analyzing craft beer.
Many of these “taste testers” have been beer judges at the “Great American Beer Festival.” That’s right, they are paid to drink! And every expert rates each beer based on a variety of elements:
Appearance
Often one of the first things noticed when you pour a beer into the right glass. The color, clarity, head retention, and lacing of the beer is an important part of the subscription service.
Aroma
Sniffing the glass after being poured is not just a wine thing. The aroma of the beer is judged on if it is fruity, dank, floral, bread-like, spicy, hoppy, etc.
Body
Body is the viscosity of the beer, which basically means how thick or thin it is. Certain beers are light-bodied like, well, a light beer. Others are heavier like stouts and porters.
Mouthfeel
The mouthfeel is a physical characteristic of the beer, and what it feels like in your mouth, not what it tastes like. The smoothness, heaviness, and the amount of carbonation all contribute to the mouthfeel.
Finish
And finally the “finish” profile. Is there lingering bitterness, or does it finish crisp and clean. This just means what is the aftertaste in your mouth after drinking the beer and has to do with the beer recipe and how it was brewed.
This stringent selection process guarantees that only the highest quality of beer makes the cut.
Always Know What Craft Beer You Are Drinking
For many who enjoy drinking a specific brand of beer, they usually do so because they just like the taste and don’t really care about nothing else.
But when you join a monthly beer club, it’s more than just opening the box and drinking a different style of beer.
With most beer clubs, your shipment will include an informative monthly newsletter. In the newsletter, you will get detailed information and history on the breweries that are featured during the month, along with tasting notes and food pairing suggestions.
Actually, it’s pretty neat to read about all of the characteristics of the new beer your are going to drink before you drink. Maybe there is an aroma or taste that you can’t put your finger on, but after reading the notes, you will actually know what ingredients were added during the brewing process.
How Do You Know Which Beer Club To Choose?
If you need to come up with a unique gift for a relative, friend, or a co-worker, any one of these beer of the month clubs will be the perfect gift.
But with so many to choose from, how do you choose the right beer club?
If you are having a hard time deciding what club you should get for yourself, or for someone else, don’t sweat it. You have complete control and flexibility when you join, and you don’t have to commit to just one the entire time.
You can take two, three, four, five, or six of the clubs to make one membership, and you can even skip a few months if you wish.
You can also have it set up to receive multiple shipments in any month of your liking, and all shipments can include a personalized gift announcement for that special gift recipient.
Holidays And Birthdays Might Only Come Once A Year, But A Beer Subscription Gift That Arrives Every Month Is Truly Something Special.
Final Say
So what is the best beer of the month club for a beer enthusiast you ask?
Well you really can’t go wrong with any of these craft beer clubs. It really depends on your personal taste in beer and what styles you are wanting to try.
But our two favorites in the monthly club group are the U.S and International Variety Beer Club, and The Original Craft Beer Club. These were based on the overall quality of the beer, and the selections that we received.
The opportunity to drink new beers every month that come from craft breweries throughout the United States and Europe that were recently bottled is very appealing.
And with such a wide variety of craft beer available through these clubs, if the occasional beer isn’t to your liking, you know next months order is probably going to please you more.
Of course, not only are these beer clubs the perfect way for you to experience some of the best beer from around the world, but they also make the perfect surprise gift for the beer aficionado in your life.
Cheers!
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