Best Craft Beer Clubs

Craft beer drinkers range from people just discovering the category’s incredible stylistic depth to enthusiasts that have followed the scene since its meteoric rise in the ’90s. Original Craft Beer Club understands this range quite well and demonstrates this knowledge through its craft beer subscription boxes. The company’s team of experts packs each box with 12 cans representing four different beer styles, handpicked from two different craft breweries from across the country. One box may feature an IPA and a Berliner Weisse from a Georgia craft brewery, another box may contain a cream ale and a stout from a microbrewery in Colorado. The scope of selections sent is broad enough to keep beer enthusiasts intrigued. No matter what you get, you’ll also receive full-color newsletters loaded with in-depth information on the beer, the brewery, and how to pair them with food—perfect if you’re just starting to dive into the category. 

When you sign up for Original Craft Beer Club’s subscription, the company will send you a few freebies to make you feel welcome. These goodies include a year subscription to a beer-centric e-magazine, a heavy-duty bottle opener, and custom koozies. What gifts you’ll receive depends on the subscription length, which is determined by shipment number rather than by month. You can prepay for a specific number of shipments up to 12, or you can just keep your order ongoing. You can also have your beers sent your way on a monthly, every-other-month, or quarterly basis. If you live in the lower 48 states, your shipping will be free. Want even more beer? Upgrade your subscription to 24 beers and receive a quartet of six-packs.

• 12 beers - Ongoing: $47.95 per month
• 12 beers - 2 shipments: $95.90 (prepaid)
• 12 beers - 3 shipments: $143.85 (prepaid)
• 12 beers - 4 shipments: $191.80 (prepaid)
• 12 beers - 6 shipments: $287.70 (prepaid)
• 12 beers - 12 shipments: $545.40 (prepaid)
• 24 beers - Ongoing: $95.90 per month
• 24 beers - 1 shipment: $95.90 (prepaid)
• 24 beers - 2 shipments: $191.80 (prepaid)
• 24 beers - 3 shipments: $287.70 (prepaid)
• 24 beers - 4 shipments: $383.60 (prepaid)
• 24 beers - 6 shipments: $545.40 (prepaid)
• 24 beers - 12 shipments: $1,090.80 (prepaid)

Ideally, the term “value” should equate to quality as well as price. The Beer of the Month Club’s craft beer subscription service champions this concept, and with good reason. The company launched in 1994, right around when the craft beer scene exploded, and has been fully dialed into the category ever since. The Beer of the Month Club’s experience and knowledge enables it to spot exceptional, innovative, and rare beers from microbreweries across the country, regardless of location or size. The company’s team of experts share their discoveries through cost-effective craft beer services. Each free shipment brings you a dozen fresh, full-sized brews reflecting a broad spectrum of styles, including stouts, IPAs, lagers, ales, and more. Packages also contain a copy of the Beer Expeditions News, a newsletter loaded with information on what makes the featured breweries and beers so special.

Each monthly 12-pack features four different types of craft beers handpicked from two different small American producers. If you fall in love with a particular expression, you can reorder more from the club’s website at a discount. Subscriptions are paid upfront and offered in two-, three-, four-, six-, or 12-month increments—the longer the subscription, the lower the per-month cost. Can’t do a monthly shipment? You can also opt to have shipments sent every other month or quarterly.

• 2-month club: $109.90 ($54.95 per month)
• 3-month club: $161.85 ($53.95 per month)
• 4-month club: $215.80 ($53.95 per month)
• 6-month club: $317.70 ($52.95 per month)
• 12-month club: $623.40 ($51.95 per month)

If you haven’t signed up for a craft beer delivery service before, you may have concerns about receiving a beer style you don’t like. Luckily, Beer Drop eliminates these concerns by giving you complete control over what you’ll receive in your next shipment. When you sign up for Beer Drop’s monthly craft beer subscription service, you’re given the option to select what beer styles you want to check out. From there, the company will build your box around your preferences. Whatever style you choose, you’re sure to receive craft beers of exceptional quality. Beer Drop cultivates strong relationships with craft brands nationwide to deliver an impressively deep range of options that match the company’s own exacting standards. You can adjust your preferences whenever you want—perfect if you want to focus on Belgian-style beers for a couple months or if you need a break from hoppy brews.

Each monthly shipment will feature pairs of three, four, or five beers, depending on what club level you purchase. Beer Drop will send you an email 24 hours before shipping to let you know what specific beers are headed your way. If you want to make a change, let the team know what beer you’d like to try from the Beer Drop catalog and they’ll make the appropriate swap. They’ll also put your subscription on pause if you need to skip a month. For a few dollars more per month, you can gain access to Beer Drop’s selection of premium beers.

• 6 beers (standard): $33 per month
• 6 beers (upgraded): $39 per month
• 8 beers (standard): $40 per month
• 8 beers (upgraded): $48 per month
• 10 beers (standard): $44 per month
• 10 beers (“Great Beer” upgraded option): $50 per month
• 10 beers (“Best Beer” upgraded option): $60 per month

There’s a reason you won’t see a marketplace or an online craft beer subscription service on Tavour’s website. It’s all found on Tavour’s app, and the company’s full commitment to app-based retail means you're just a few phone taps from receiving quality brews. The subscription service combines this convenience with a unique layer of control. When you sign up for its subscription “crate,” tell Tavour your preferred beer style from five different categories, what styles you’re into, how many beers you want per shipment, and how often you want a shipment. The Tavour team will use this data to handpick beers from the company’s constantly rotating roster of 650+ beers sourced from 47 states. They’ll let you know which beers are coming six days prior to each shipment. Don’t like what you see? Just let the folks at Tavour know and they’ll skip your shipment, no questions asked.

Subscription selections are built from any combination of five categories—light and crisp, hoppy and juicy, dark and intense, sour and funky, or cider—and you can switch these preferences at any time. You can opt for either six or 12 beers per shipment, and you can request delivery on a monthly, twice-a-month, or quarterly basis. Subscription price fluctuates based on the beer style, quantity, and shipping frequency. Want even more beer? Fill up your “crate” with extra beers from their app-based marketplace, and Tavour will have them delivered with your subscription with no extra shipping fee.

• 6 bottles, monthly delivery: $55 - $65
• 6 bottles, two-month delivery: $57 - $67
• 6 bottles, quarterly delivery: $59 - $69
• 12 bottles, monthly delivery: $90 - $115
• 12 bottles, two-month delivery: $94 - $119
• 12 bottles, three-month delivery: $98 - $123

In 2021, there were more than 9,000 American craft breweries scattered across the country. That’s a lot of ground to cover if you’re a beer enthusiast. However, Brewvana’s monthly beer service is designed to give you a hand by essentially functioning as a virtual road trip. Each month, the Brewvana team explores a specific city’s hyperlocal craft beer scene and handpicks labels from four of their favorite breweries. You’ll not only receive their discoveries, but you’ll receive an invitation to the Brews Less Traveled livestream, a virtual guided tasting session featuring brewer interviews and the featured city’s beer culture. The team will even throw in a few city-related keepsakes and souvenirs, including a city brewery guide. You’ll end up learning a lot about cities that may otherwise be off your radar, like Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, or Boise. You may even be inspired to hop in your car and take a road trip!

The standard craft beer club delivers eight beers to your door—two different selections from four different breweries each month. You can also opt to receive 16 beers and get twice as many cans. Free shipping is included regardless of size. Orders are processed after the 20th of each month so that the deliveries can arrive before the first livestream session. You can pay as you go on a monthly basis, or you can opt for three- or six-month prepaid subscription options and get a price break in the process.

• Monthly box: $79.99 per month
• Three-month prepay: $224.99 ($74.99 per month)
• Six-month prepay: $399.99 ($66.67 per month)

IPAs are still the king of the craft beer world. While they have a reputation for being bitter hop bombs in some circles, categorical enthusiasts know that a properly made IPA possesses a wealth of nuanced flavors that are fun to identify. The team of experts that curate Half Time Beverage’s monthly IPA box understand this and are eager to share this knowledge with you. Each craft beer box emphasizes the category’s versatility in numerous ways. Some IPAs, for instance, may highlight the fruity characteristics of hops varieties like Galaxy and Columbus. Others may showcase trending styles like Belgian IPAs, which combine American hops with Belgian yeast. You may also receive new-to-you cans from breweries that don’t typically distribute in your area, along with the occasional rare release. Regardless of what you receive, you’ll know exactly what you’re getting into, as Half Time sends out digital tasting notes with each shipment. 

Each box contains two cans of the same IPA from six different breweries, so you’ll receive 12 cans in total. In addition to the monthly club, Half Time also offers three- and six-month gift subscriptions perfect for the hophead in your life. As a bonus, shipping is free.

• Monthly club price: $95 per month
• Three-month gift: $300 ($100 per month)
• Six-month gift: $585 ($97.50 per month)

Sour beers aren’t a fad. Their tart, funky flavors are a bona fide hit among craft beer aficionados, and their increasingly growing popularity positions this beer style to be a mainstay in the scene. If you’re curious about the category, or if you like what you’ve tasted and are ready for more, Craft Beer Kings makes for an outstanding craft beer subscription option. Its team of experts scours the craft beer scene for the latest limited-release expressions from sour beer’s subcategories, from lip-smacking goses to curiously refreshing Berliner Weisses. The team then shares its favorite finds via monthly subscription boxes, which come your way without any shipping fees.

Each shipment box contains six different sours from six different craft breweries. The cans are 12 or 16 ounces, depending on the brewery. The box typically gets to your door between 7-14 business days. If you’re interested in other craft brew styles, Craft Beer Kings offers several other craft beer subscription boxes, including subscriptions that allow you to mix different craft categories.

• $49.99 per month

Giving the gift of a beer club membership to someone requires a few elements to be successful. The beer must be outstanding, and it should provide opportunities to grow the recipients’ beer knowledge. It doesn’t hurt if they receive the occasional rare bottle, either. The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club checks off these boxes and more. Launched in 1994, the company still uses the same tasting panel that vetted its first craft beer shipments. The collective expertise accumulated from nearly three decades of discernment comes through in each of the five different beer clubs. The folks on the panel regularly meet to taste their way through potential club-worthy domestic and international craft beers, and only those that please their seasoned palates are approved for club shipment. In addition to these handpicked selections, the club will throw in “lightly distributed” craft beers and the occasional club-exclusive brew into the mix, so your gift recipient will enjoy some fun surprises along the way. Each monthly club shipment also adds a touch of education in the form of detailed tasting notes and profiles on the featured breweries.

Each of the five Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club options has a distinctive focus: U.S. craft, international craft, hoppy craft, rare beers, or a mix of U.S. and international selections. Most club options send out a dozen craft beers, including two or three “lightly distributed” brews. The only exception here is their rare beer club, which sends your choice of one, two, or three 750-milliliter bottles of the month’s two featured breweries.

• U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club: $35.95 per month
• Hop-Heads Beer Club: $39.95 per month
• U.S. and International Variety Beer Club: $40.95 per month
• International Beer Club: $43.95 per month
• Rare Beer Club: From $41.95 per month