Whether you are buying for yourself, or as a gift, I hope you get a lot of use out of the beer of the month club reviews you'll find on this page.
There are quite a few options for clubs that you can join, with a variety of prices and types of brews available. In general, I had a great experience with all the clubs. They were eager to deliver high quality beers, directly to my doorstep.
I'll tell you what, it sure beat making a trip to the store and browsing the aisles or hours trying to find something new!
Keep reading to find which one was my personal favorite - the one I'm still a member of today! I'd love to be a member of all of them, but who can really keep up with all that drinking?!
Best Beer Of The Month Clubs
Reading sucks. Comparing 10 different beer clubs sucks more. So I'll show my top 3 picks right here, and why I like them. Pick one of those and you'll be fine.
With the rest of the list I go into a bit more detail about my experience, including some pictures and links the full review. The list goes from 1 to 10, and is basically in order of best to worst. It just turned out that way because I started with the best and then dragged my feet through the rest just to complete the Top 10 list.
#1 Rare Beer Club
Pros
- hard to find beer
- unique flavors
- exclusive offerings
- two big bottles per month
- options to order more
- more control over what's delivered
- big bottles great for sharing with friends
Cons
- strong beers are not for everyone
- hard to finish one by yourself
- doesn't keep overnight like wine
- more expensive than other clubs
#2 Hop Heads (Most Flavor!)
Pros
- most flavor of any beer club
- hoppy beers go great with food
- good for hot summer days
Cons
- lots of people don't like hoppy beers
- not hoppy enough for true hop heads
#3 US/International Mix (Fan Favorite)
Pros
- biggest variety of beers of any clubs
- includes US micro, plus international selection
- good for people that don't like "hoppy" beers
- Belgian beers are great for cozy winter nights
Cons
- a little more expensive that US-only micro clubs
- foreign beers don't have "crazy flavors" like US micros
MonthlyClubs.com Offers 5 Beer Clubs Now!
There are actually five clubs available from MonthlyClubs.com, and they are all pretty awesome. Monthly Clubs actually has a number of different types of cool clubs to join, including cigars, cheese, wine, chocolate, and flowers. Five clubs are dedicated specifically to beer drinkers, and each club is targeted towards a specific type of person. My favorite was the Rare Beer Club, but that one is a bit pricier and you get large 750 ml bottles instead of 12 oz bottles.
For typical beers at a reasonable price, I like the US/International mix. It provides the greatest variety. That way I don't get sick of having too many "amber ales", and can mix it up with unique European styles.
As much as I would have liked to try all four individually, the US/International mix is just a mix of what you would normally get in the US Micro and International version. Based on what I received in the mix pack, I've written a blurb about those beers. I still need to try the hop heads one, since it's a new addition to their lineup.
Option #1. US Micro
- $27.95 per month plus $15 S&H
One of the biggest trouble with "drinking local" is that you can really expire you choices of new brews quickly (unless you live in Oregon, Washington, or San Diego!). Being part of a US Microbrew of the monthly club immediately opens up some doors for you to try beers from around the USA without needing to make a trip across the country!
I actually drove across the USA on my motorcycle, stopping at a few breweries in each state, and was not able to come even close to "trying everything". The US Microbrew of The Month Club is a cool way to taste the best of the best around the US since these beers are professionally curated and chosen for quality.
In my opinion, the US beers featured in this club were much more interesting than in the other US micro clubs below.
Sign Up For US Microbrewed Club Here
Option #2. International
- $37.95 per month plus $15 S&H
Are you able to ship your own beers internationally? Probably not. Even if you were a frequent traveler, it would be insanely inconvenient to find and bring back international beers regularly. Your local bottle shop likely only has a few English and Belgian beers, if anything, and who knows how long they've been sitting on that shelf. Even my local BevMo only has certain selections and they don't rotate as often as the US craft stuff. 18-month old Belgian golden ales? Boring and stale.
That's why I really like having these international beers sent to me. I know they are going to be fresher, and more interesting than what I can source myself. And even though they are a bit more expensive than the craft clubs listed on this page, they are worth it because I can't source these bottles for much cheaper.
I was part of the US/International club, so I didn't get the full experience, but from what I got over three months, I was happy.
A lot of beer drinkers simply don't like the crazy stuff from craft beer breweries like chocolate stouts, or cherry watermelon wheats. That's OK! So you would probably like these international beers. They are less hoppy, more traditional, but still in the realm of "interesting" because they come from foreign places and use different brewing techniques.
Though The Rare Beer Club was my favorite club of this bunch, for obvious reasons, the International Beer Club was easily my second or third favorite, depending on my mood!
Sign Up For Monthly Clubs International Beer Club Here
Option #3. US/International Mix
- $32.95 per month plus $15 S&H
I opted for the US/International mix because I wanted to get a taste of both the US micro and non-US selections. While I was satisfied with what I got, I didn't realize that I would not be getting ALL beers from each of the other clubs. What I got in the package was 4 breweries (4 types of beer), 3 bottles each.
I was hoping for 8 types of beer with 1-2 bottles each! I guess that was wishful thinking, and doesn't really make sense now that I think of it. Anyway, this was a cool mix pack, but you will miss out on a few beers that the other packs would normally ship.
Personally, I prefer US micros because they're generally fresher, more fun & unique, and it's just something that's of interest to me. If I started another membership with Monthly Clubs, it would be the US Micro. It's also $4 cheaper per month!
Sign Up For Monthly Clubs US/Int Mix Club Here
Read My Full Review Of US/Int Mix Club Here
Option #4. Hop Heads
- $32.95 per month plus $15 S&H
Since I live in California, I have pretty easy access to a ton of IPAs. The West Coast of the US invented the "west coast IPA" (Green Flash Brewery). However, not everyone across the USA has access to delicious hoppy beers. If you're a hop head, and stuck in malty-beer USA, then this would be a great club to join.
Even for someone along the West Coast, there's nothing wrong with trying out hoppy beers from around the US. Sometimes it's nice to get away from the "punch you in the face" hoppiness California/Oregon/Colorado/Washington beers! Those guys have more balance over there lol.
Plus, you can try other IPA styles. Remember, there's red, black, Belgian, session, and more. I tried a nice Belgian IPA from the US's only Trappist brewery as part of my Hop Heads membership!
Sign Up For Monthly Clubs Hop Heads Beer Club Here
Read My Full Review of the IPA of the Month Club
Option #5. Rare Beer Club
- $37.95 to $72.95 + $14 to $19 S&H
- Price and shipping depend on how many bottles you get
- Option for 2, 4, or 6 bottles per month
- Option to purchase special releases and extra bottles
My taste in beer is more expensive and unique, so I really enjoyed The Rare Beer Club. I love getting access to exclusive brews that aren't available in my area. I'm also a member of the Rare Barrel's Ambassadors of Sour Club and Sierra Nevada's Alpha Hop Society. Sours, weird hopping techniques, limited releases, big beers...that's my jam!
The cool thing about The Rare Beer Club for me is that it sets a limit where I can enjoy a few special bottles per month, without spending all my money. I'm a collector at heart, and it's easy to spend $100's on specialty beer without even trying.
The downside to this club (for some) is that all bottles are 750ml, so sometimes they end up being too much for one person to handle in one sitting. For me, meh, I do alright and can do 750 ml of 11% beer as long as I'm not driving! However, these are best when shared with friends that can appreciate and awe at the flavors, aromas, and story behind the beer (literature included with each shipping!).
Sign Up For Rare Beer Club Here
Read My Full Review Of Rare Beer Club Here
Club #6: Clubs Of America
- $42.95/month + Free Shipping
The beers you get with Clubs of America are pretty standard brews but I was amazed by the quality and flavor. There wasn't anything too crazy like salted caramel imperial porters, and that may be a positive or negative for you. Either way, it was enjoyable being introduced to a variety of new breweries that I either couldn't find in my local area or wouldn't try on my own.
I typically don't go for "American lagers" because they're a bit too boring, but my favorite beer from my 3-month membership was the Shmaltz Brewing Slighshot Lager (American Craft Lager). Surprise! Sometimes you gotta drink outside the box.
Sign Up For Clubs Of America Here
Read My Full Review Of Clubs of American Here
Club #7: The Original Craft Beer Club
- $42/month + Free Shipping
This club provided a good mix of breweries, but beer itself was a little tame for my taste. I ended up using some of it for cooking because, well, I had better stuff on hand. There were a few wheat beers, amber ales, and blond ales that just didn't excite me that much. Don't get me wrong, they were good, but since I was subscribed to a few other clubs at the time, this stuff was drunk last.
Though this club wasn't really my speed, it would be great for someone that wants some pretty "normal" beers from the craft beer world. Some styles I received included, helles, kolsch, APA, and a blonde.
Sign Up For The Original Craft Beer Club Here
Read My Full Review Of The Original Craft Beer Club
Club #8: Tavour (NEW)
- Personally Selected Beers + $14.95 Flat Rate Shipping
- $55/month for 6 beers or $90/month for 12
There are two ways to get delicious beer from Tavour.
One, is that you actually get to choose which beers get delivered each month. It's more like an online retailer, but with more exclusive beers. Download the app, then get notified when a new beer comes in. You can add between 1-6 cans/bottles of each selection, to build your custom "box" that's shipped each month.
The listings have awesome descriptions, so you will have a good idea of what you want to buy, rather than browsing bleary-eyed through the hundreds generic IPAs online that are described as "hop bombs".
There is a super broad selection of beers - more so than any other club on this page.
The other club they offer is a set membership of $55/month for 6 beers or $90/month for 12. $7-$10 per beer (tall can) is kinda brutal, even for good stuff. But it really is beers you can't get in your local area unless you live in hipster central like San Diego.
The downside is that you can easily go overboard, and I spent about $150 in my test-run of their service. It's flat-rate shipping, so that was a plus, but I really didn't meant to spend that much money.
Sign Up To Tavour & Get $10 In Free Beer
Club #9: Amazing Clubs
- $38.95 /month + Free Shipping
Amazing Clubs is just ever-so slightly cheaper than some of the other clubs on this list. It's about five bucks cheaper, which comes out to a few pennies per bottle. For that cheaper price, you get pretty much the same type of beers from Clubs Galore and The Original Craft Beer Club.
Compared to MonthlyClubs.com, the literature you get with the beer is not as extensive, so all in all, this was not one of my favorite clubs. It was OK, and for your average microbrew drinker, it'll be just fine, especially if you are looking to spend as little as possible.
http://www.amazingclubs.com/beer.html
Club #10: Beer Across America
- $39/month + Free Shipping
This is a new one I discovered! The concept and pricing seems identical to the other clubs on this list, so I suspect that it's exactly the same beer selection. I have seen some repeats between American craft beer clubs, with confirmation that they do buy in bulk with competitors. I'll have to try this one out later though.
https://www.beeramerica.com/
Note: This is not the same thing as Beer Camp Across America, which is a Sierra Nevada craft beer tour of the USA. Also, they seem to use the same slogan as another club: "The Original Craft Beer Club" so perhaps this is just a rebranded website for driving traffic to the club.
Top To Bottom: Hop Heads, Amazing Clubs, Rare Beer Clubs
My Favorite Beer Club of The Month Club...
My all-time favorite beer of the month club is simply The Rare Beer Club. I enjoyed the variety of beers, the exclusivity of the selections, and it was what I felt a "club" should be. These were selections that I could not find in my local store, either because they are hard to get, or because people beat me to the punch. It also meant I could control my compulsion to buy a bunch of expensive beers every time I went to the store, because I knew that my rare beer shipment was coming this month.
However, if you are not interested in getting the 750 ml bottles of rare beer, then actually, Tavour is growing on me. They delivery some truly interesting beers, and although it's kinda pricey, the beers are more my style, with weird styles mango milkshake IPAs and German Alt Biers.
If you're buying a gift for someone and not sure what style they like, or you want something more "middle of the road", then one of the other Monthlyclub.com clubs are good to go with.
Scroll up for links to each of the clubs I've mentioned as my favorites to start your membership, or let us know in the comments which club you decided to go with.
These are just the clubs I like based on my own tastes. You may hate hoppy beers, or don't care about weird American hipster sours. Everyone's taste is different!
- USA Micro Craft Beer (see USA/Int.)
- International Craft Beer (see USA/Int.)
- USA/International Mix
- Hop Heads IPA Beer Club
- Rare Beer Beer Club
- The Original Craft Beer Club
- Clubs of America Craft Beer
- Tavour
- Amazing Clubs Beer Club
- Clubs Galore Beer Club
Have you joined a beer of the month club before? What was your experience?
Hi Rick,
I really did appreciate this very fun-to-read article because my husband and I are both beer connoisseurs (So much so, that we tried our own brewing for awhile. He loves stout.) Thanks also so letting us know right up front which were your top 3 choices, although it was entertaining to read about all of them, and the pros and cons.
We’ve actually never belonged to a beer of the month club before, and now that I’ve read your article, I cannot figure out why not! His birthday’s in August, what a perfect gift! Thanks!
Sue
I was completely amazed when I ran across this! When my family goes on vacation, I make sure to sample some of the local brews – I still need to visit Wisconsin another 20 times before I have a good sampling there …
I honestly had no idea you could have beer shipped to you through the mail, let alone pay a monthly subscription! This is brilliant! Thank you so much!
I don’t know any famous breweries from Wisconsin. What’s your favorite?
I have been in a wine of the month club before but I did not know anything about the beers of the month clubs. Reviewing these makes me want a beer in general. I like how you broke down each beer of the month club and explained them in a bit of detail. Cheers!
Thanks for the review on different beer clubs of the month. Actually you have given me various options to choose from and after checking the pros and cons of them all I think I will go for the Rare Beer Club as I have the option of getting two bottles per month and have some to share with friends in a month. That’s really cool.
This article actually got me trilled because i am a beer lover and this type of informations are motivating to me. I am a fan of Rare Beer Club and there is no doubt its pros outweighs its cons which makes it much more recommendable.I haven’t tried others out but obviously they would surely be a perfect match. Thanks for the eye opener
Heavens, I did not know there were so many choices for beer clubs. I am a bit of a beer snob and I won’t drink just any beer when I do drink beer. I like the US/International Variety beer club. I think I would be able to find more of what I like to be delivered. I am German, so a bit of a fan of German beers and most any hefeweizen beer. Would I be able to get these with this beer club?
If you like German beers, you should definitely try the international club. However, there are many American breweries that brew German style beers too, so you might like the American microbrew club too!
I belong to a wine club that is similar to belonging to a beer club. Just like the beer club, we get unusual wines that are difficult to get in the shops.
The best part about belonging to these sorts of clubs is that you try new products that you normally wouldn’t buy and sometimes you find something great that you then start buying regularly.
Sometimes there are also discounts on items offered which the general public don’t get which is also cool.
Finding this article today was a stroke of luck for me. I am an avid enthusiast for beer and have been since arriving in Germany at the ripe old age of 17. I was in the military, and although old enough to fight for my country, I was not old enough to drink beer in my country!
That was not the case in Germany, as I was never carded nor asked how old I was in any pub, bar, club, Biergarten, etc. I guess they felt just the opposite as what they did in the USA – if he is old enough to be in combat, he is old enough to have a beer.
Now on to your top beer of the month clubs. This is something I never knew existed until reading this article. I know that you may think I have lived under a rock, but that is not the case. I have been overseas most of my life and really am out of touch with what is going on in the Americas.
This is a great concept and I would love to get involved once I am back in the USA. It is quite easy to find unique and flavorful beers in Europe, and there are many small breweries (and large ones too) that do specialty beers at certain times of the year, not to mention the hundreds (if not thousands) of varieties always available.
The top club you mention is likely the one for me too. I have never minded being in the middle of anything (as long as the beer is involved) but on this one, I will stick with your number one choice, like you. The Rare Beer Club would suit me fine. I have had different kinds of beer in many countries, over 50 so far.
The rare beer club would keep me interested and I am sure there are a ton of stories floating about between members. I like the big bottle, the strong brews are great for me, and having some hard to find beer would enable me to continue to enjoy beers for many places.
Thanks for this super interesting article, I have bookmarked the website too, as I will be back!