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
Comparing 14 different beer clubs is a lot of work, especially if you are trying to get a gift for someone. 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 if you really want to dig into the details.
#1 Rare Beer Club (My Favorite)
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
>>>> Beer Club Options 1-14 <<<<
Note: There are actually five different kinds of beer clubs available from MonthlyClubs.com, AKA BeerMonthClub.com. The first five clubs on this list are from that company, and the remaining clubs are different companies.
Option #1. US Microbrewed Beer Club
- $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 Beer Club
- $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 Variety Beer Club
- $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 Beer Club
- $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
