We tried over 20 different beers to determine the best beer of the month club for hop newbies and expert brew heads
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Raise a Glass for the 5 Best Beer of the Month Clubs
Updated Sep. 18, 2024
The best thing about beer is its broad appeal. Cracking open a cold one can signal a big life change, a much-needed vacation or an appreciation for all the care that goes into the brewing process. Beer is such a beloved beverage that there are even several popular non-alcoholic options for those who don’t drink. From IPAs to oatmeal stouts, there are literally thousands of different types to try from breweries all over the country. That’s where the best beer of the month clubs come in.
“Beer of the month clubs are often great for those who are just expanding their beer knowledge and want to try a variety of styles and flavors,” says Bart Watson, beer expert and Vice President of Strategy and Chief Economist for the Brewers Association.
Some folks may picture a beer club as an exclusive spot for brew enthusiasts to weigh in on their favorite hop varieties and distillation methods. However, these gift of the month clubs come in many iterations, meaning that there are plenty of options for both expert tasters and brew newbs alike. From monthly beer subscription boxes that offer in-depth tasting notes to beer clubs that deliver bespoke boxes from a single brewery each month, there’s plenty for hop heads to explore.
Choosing a beer of the month club can be overwhelming, especially for those who aren’t already familiar with services such as fruit of the month clubs or other monthly subscriptions. Our expert product testers already know how to find the best snack subscription services, so we tested five options using our tried-and-true home testing methods. Our beer-loving experts took notes on everything from the ordering process to box variety and—of course—the taste.
Best Overall
Great Clubs Beer of the Month Club
Pros:
- Box offers 12 beers (with the option to upgrade to 24)
- Fairly priced
- Includes multiples of each beer
- Comes with a rating table
Cons:
- Lacking some brand variety
Great Clubs has some seriously enticing snack subscriptions, including options that rival our beloved Goldbelly box. But for casual beer fans, there’s no better box than the brand’s beer of the month club. Each box arrives with 12 beers from bespoke breweries across the nation. Subscribers can also upgrade their box to include a 24-pack for bigger crowds. Tester and Content Director Nicole Doster notes that the box contains a good amount of variety, ranging from a super light summer ale to a heavier, hoppier mountain ale.
Her box included three bottles of each of the following: Geary’s Brewery Original Pale Ale, Geary’s Brewery Maine’s Summer Ale, The Shed Brewery Co. Mountain Ale and The UFO Beer Company White Ale. It also came with a copy of the beer club’s monthly publication, “Beer Expeditions,” detailing information about all of the breweries featured within the box. It’s one of the better newsletters we’ve seen, complete with a charming article and prompt to mail in your beer ratings.
“The 12-pack was perfect for entertaining. I invited some friends over to help taste test. The group enjoyed the UFO White Ale the best as it tasted like a fancier Blue Moon—light with hints of orange peel. It was perfect for a summer afternoon,” she says. “I was definitely tickled by the old-school printed newsletter that came with the box. It was full of tasting notes, descriptions of the breweries and interesting facts about beer. It was really fun to read as we drank through the box. It even had a place to rate the beer on color, clarity, head, smell, taste and aftertaste, which helped us pick apart why we liked each beer.”
That said, the box arrived with two beers from the same brewery, so expect to see a few familiar brands here and there on your tasting journey. However, given that this is one of the better value boxes on the list, we don’t mind. In fact, that’s part of what makes this box so intriguing. It’s like taking a beer tour without leaving the couch!
Best Customizable
Beer Drop
Pros:
- Choose from eight beer types
- Choice of three, four or five unique beers per box
- Options to swap or skip any box contents
- Comes with two of each beer
- Affordable per-can price
Cons:
- Swapping out picks changes the cost
- $18 shipping on each box
Those who prefer sticking to just a few brew types can still enjoy the beer club experience with Beer Drop. First, fill out a beer profile by choosing three types of beer from eight different categories, including options like Belgian beers, light beers, malty beers and popular picks. Then choose from 6, 8 or 10 beers in each shipment. The per-can price lowers with larger shipments, though the rather pricey $18 shipping fee remains the same.
“There were four 12-ounce cans (two sours and two wheats) and two 16-ounce cans (two porters),” says editor and tester Mary Henn, who tried the box. She chose sour, fruity and dark beers for her profile. “The Blackbeary Wheat from Long Trail is an American wheat ale with a hint of blackberry. It was light in color and very refreshing. It was my favorite and great for summertime.”
While she enjoyed the picks and didn’t identify any duds, she wishes the subscription included more surprising flavors by default. “There was an ad for a cookie porter that sounded great, but wasn’t included in my box. I was expecting more unique/fun flavors. I also would have loved to get six different beers instead of just three flavors—but I guess two of each is nice if you’re tasting with a partner,” she notes.
Beer Drop differs from other club options (like many cheese of the month clubs) in that it sends a preview of each box for your approval prior to shipping out. At that point, each subscriber gets the option to skip or swap out any beer in their box for a different flavor, which they can personally choose from the expansive Beer Drop catalog. However, keep in mind that swapping out flavors adds to the price of the box, which is already steep thanks to the higher shipping cost.
Best for Hop Lovers
Hop-Heads Beer Club
Pros:
- Three flavors and 12 beers per box
- Perfect for hoppy beer fans
- Beer descriptions with pairings, ingredients and flavor profiles
- Easy way to enjoy non-local breweries
- Secure shipping
Cons:
- On the pricey side
Enjoy the bitter side of beer? You will go bananas for the Hop Heads beer club. It’s ideal for those who prefer a hearty IPA to lights or sours. Each monthly shipment delivers 12 hand-crafted, hoppy beers in three different flavors from U.S. craft microbreweries and international breweries. There’s also a newsletter that details additional information about each brew.
“This would be a great gift for someone who is just developing an interest in beer and/or brewing,” says tester Pamela Bondurant. “The newsletter gave a great description of the flavor profiles of each of the three beers, such as ‘floral tones and a light dash of piney herbaceousness.’ The packaging was secured really well using molded cardboard to hold both the base and the tops of the bottles and cans.”
The newsletter is a nice touch, and it gets pretty in-depth about each inclusion. It outlines the beer style, serving temps, alcohol by volume, International Bittering Units (IBUS), suggested glassware, strains of the malts used and the types of hops. Background information on the microbrewery is also given, along with taste descriptions and recommended pairings.
“The beers were somehow appealing the way they were placed in packaging, and I was eager to see the flavors,” says Pamela. “The canned beer lined in the middle of the bottles was a nice touch.” Overall, she gives it a thumbs up for those who appreciate a good, hoppy option. “I’m thinking it might appeal to young professionals who are trying to expand their palette and beer education. It also appeals to an older crowd because microbreweries exploded when that age bracket was in their 20s, and IPAs and hoppy beers were especially popular.”
Best for Gifting
Craft Beer Club
Pros:
- Four flavors and 12 beers per box
- Lots of variety
- Comes with an informative pamphlet
- Ability to upgrade to 24-pack
- Upscale look and feel
Cons:
- Some beers arrived damaged
- On the pricey side
For a giftable experience, turn to the Original Craft Beer Club. While one of the pricier beer of the month club options, the sheer variety in each box—along with the sleek, informative newsletter—make it a great pick for almost any brew head. Our box came with four beers from two different breweries, along with a duplicate can of each flavor for two-person taste testing.
“The box included 12 craft beers from two featured breweries, Texas Leaguer Brewing and Roughtail Brewing Co. of Oklahoma City. I liked that there was a lot of diversity in the beers that were featured in this delivery,” says Nicole, who tested the subscription. While Nicole opted for the 12-pack with four different flavors, there’s also the option to upgrade to a 24-pack.
“You have everything from a super-hoppy IPA to a sour to a rich and smooth bock. While some of the IPAs were a little hoppier than I’d prefer, I appreciated that I got to try a little bit of everything. I fell in love with the strawberry lemon sour, which was a big surprise!”
Unfortunately, this was also the only beer club of the month with an “explosive” surprise in store for us. Whether it was the Florida heat or a rocky shipping trip, two of the beers burst open prior to arrival. Because the packaging was about on par with the other beer clubs we tried, we chalked this up to a one-time issue—but it’s worth noting, especially for the rather high price point.
“The pamphlet included in this box felt more premium than the Great Clubs box but had less information and character. I felt like this was less of a ‘club’ and more of a gift,” says Nicole. “However, (sans beer explosion) I would not mind this as a gift!”
Best for Brewing Enthusiasts
City Brew Tours
Pros:
- Eight different beers per box
- Includes a guided tasting sheet, postcard and a local visitor’s guide
- Each box focuses on a different U.S. region
- Discount on City Brew Tours tickets
- Interactive zoom call with brewers each month
Cons:
- Only contains one can of each flavor
The City Brew Tours club really is a club, complete with its own monthly podcast for die-hard brewski fans. While the main arm of the business focuses on in-person tours, long-distance beer lovers can still enjoy tasting and learning about bespoke breweries across the nation with the monthly beer box. Each iteration of this beer of the month club introduces subscribers to eight different beers, each hailing from four breweries in a single city. It really feels like taking a boozy tour of a new city each month!
The City Brew Tours staff hand-curates each selection and includes a detailed printout containing information about the tasting notes and breweries chosen, plus a little about the featured city. Inclusions range from sours to IPAs and everything in between, so it’s an ideal subscription for those who appreciate beers of all kinds. While only one of each type of beer comes in the box, that means that you get to enjoy eight different beers, instead of only two or three flavors each month. It’s the ideal option for the solo taste tester.
While the beers are great, the club’s biggest appeal is the monthly, subscriber-only interactive Zoom call tasting featuring guest speakers, brewing experts and fellow beer enthusiasts. It’s a great way to connect with other brewers, gain insight and discuss flavors and new brew methods. Additionally, each subscription comes with a discount on City Brew Tours tickets in case you ever get the itch to join in person.
My box arrived filled to the brim with brews from Pittsburgh. The insert with an overview of the city, facts about Pittsburgh brewing and info about each beer was incredibly enlightening and a great introduction to what the city offers. My favorite was Brew Gentlemen’s Mexican coffee, which was a deep and java-rich experience. It was also cool to have access to the tasting notes and enjoy two brews from each brewery—not to mention all the one-on-one insight gleaned from the Zoom call.
What To Look for When Choosing a Beer of the Month Club
While some may purchase a beer subscription for themselves to explore new flavors, others might consider snagging one as a gift for a beer lover in their life. When choosing a beer of the month club, it’s important to consider the recipient. Folks who enjoy a variety of flavors might do well with a club that offers many different brews in each box. On the other hand, those who are a bit pickier may prefer a box that focuses on one type (i.e., pilsners or IPAs) or comes with customization options.
According to Vice President of Strategy and Chief Economist for the Brewers Association Bart Watson, there’s no wrong way to enjoy a beer club. That said, one big obstacle is shipping.
“What are you looking to learn more about or taste by region, style, brewery, etc.? Pick something that’s going to make you excited every month,” he says. “One note is that many breweries will be limited in their ability to offer beer-of-the-month clubs directly to consumers based on DtC laws, which is why the Brewers Association is working at the Federal and State levels to make it easier for breweries to ship directly to customers, just like wineries can in the vast majority of states.”
If you’re hunting down a beer of the month club subscription as a gift, think about the presentation. Some beer clubs arrive with a wealth of information on the brewing process and featured breweries. Many others offer bonuses like monthly classes. Alternately, some beer subscriptions emphasize sourcing exotic options rather than focusing on gift-ready packaging and in-depth info. These are typically for folks who are simply interested in taste testing rather than the entire brewing process.
How We Found the Best Beer of the Month Clubs
To find the best beer of the month clubs, we began by recruiting a few beer-loving editors. We looked into as many beer of the month clubs as possible, focusing on finding those with the best reviews and recommendations. From there, we purchased five different subscriptions from the most popular services. Depending on the service, we tried each option for a total of one to three months.
During testing, we focused on the taste of each inclusion, the variety, customization options, any info or brochures and the packaging. We also made note of any special extras, including limited-edition inclusions or other fun finds. Throughout the process, we thought about who would best enjoy each subscription and whether it would make a good gift. In the end, we found the best beer of the month club for brew newbies, beer experts and everyone in between.
Why You Should Trust Us
As Taste of Home’s resident food and drink expert, I’ve tasted everything from the best snack boxes to cookie of the month clubs and beyond. I would never recommend something that feels like a waste of space in my own kitchen or tummy. My passion lies in testing everyday kitchen items, food and other finds so that no one has to experience potential disappointment after spending their hard-earned dollars on a subpar product.
Combined, our team has decades of experience testing and evaluating everything from the best flower delivery services to coffee clubs and baking boxes. While choosing inclusions for the best beer of the month clubs, we focused on finding subscriptions that offer delicious brews and a solid bang for our buck.
For this piece, I also spoke to Bart Watson, Vice President of Strategy and Chief Economist for the Brewers Association. Bart is a stats geek, beer lover, and Certified Cicerone. He holds a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, where in addition to his dissertation, he completed a comprehensive survey of Bay Area brewpubs one pint at a time.
Originally Published: September 18, 2024
