If you tend to get bored drinking the same beer time and time again, beer subscription boxes help keep things interesting. It’s a way to treat your taste buds while cheering your team to victory. With options like lagers and ales, stouts, sours, and more, beer subscription boxes offer a little something for every palate, exposing you to new varieties with each delivery. Enjoy America’s favorite pastime in style with a well-stocked fridge and a quality beer in your hand.
Best Beer Subscription Boxes:
Best Craft Beer: Original Craft Beer Club Best Microbrewed Beer: The U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club Best International Beer: The International Beer Club Best IPA Beer: The Hop-Heads Beer Club Best Rare Beer: The Rare Beer Club Best American Beer: Beer Across America Best Personalized Beer: Beer Drop
Types of Beer
I am in no way a cicerone (beer’s version of a sommelier), but I do know that there are two main styles of beer—lagers and ales. The difference here depends on the yeast used in the fermentation process. Lagers are made with yeast that stays in the bottom of the beer and ferments under cooler temperatures. These have a lighter taste and can be a good entry point for those who want to try beer for the first time. Ale, on the other hand, uses yeast that stays at the top of the beer during fermentation, which occurs with warmer temperatures. Within those categories, there are many subcategories. For example, ale includes pale ales, India Pale Ale (better known as IPAs), stouts and porters, among others. Pilsner is a popular type of pale lager, but if you prefer a more malty beer, Vienna lagers (medium amber to brown) and dark lagers (think Dunkel and Schwarzbier) will do the trick. Then there are sours, which are arguably in their own category. Sours essentially allow wild bacteria to party-crash the fermentation process, which creates a highly tart taste. This flavor is often balanced by incorporating fruit accents rather than traditional grains. No matter the type of beer you prefer, beer subscription boxes have such a wide variety of options, you’re sure to find a favorite—and maybe even expand your horizons a bit. Original Craft Beer Club takes pride in providing a variety of unique craft beers. Each beer subscription box highlights two breweries from regions around the U.S., and includes two beer styles from each brewery (four styles total and three beers for each style). The featured regions change monthly, allowing you to discover flavors from areas of the country you may not have tried before. Each box also includes information about the breweries, tasting notes, recipes to pair the beers with, and some fun trivia to share during commercial breaks. As an added bonus, you’ll receive three surprise gifts in your first box! You can choose the number of prepaid shipments you’d like or sign up for an ongoing membership. For added convenience, there’s an option to change the beer box delivery frequency to monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly to accommodate both your schedule and budget. Free shipping is available for the 48 contiguous states. The Original Craft Beer Club subscription can also be gifted to the beer fan in your life. One subscriber wrote, “Just a note to compliment Craft Beer Club on the recent selections. They were all excellent. My only problem was how quickly I finished them.” Upon signing up for this membership, you’ll receive 12 beers each month from two different microbreweries across the U.S. Each shipment comes with four styles and three beers of each, with past inclusions such as IPAs, stouts, lagers, and ales. Your membership also comes with a monthly newsletter that includes detailed profiles of each beer, histories of the featured breweries, and tasting notes. The beers selected go through a rigorous sampling process by a Brewmasters tasting panel—aka a group of beer experts who sort through more than 500 beers annually to find hidden gems. The U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club is completely customizable, offering single-time shipment options (ranging from two to 12 boxes) or an ongoing membership. All shipping is $15. You can choose what month you want the membership to start (which helps you plan ahead for gifting subscriptions), pay the total cost up front or per shipment, and select the frequency of your deliveries (monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly). Out of 372 reviews, customers were most pleased with the variety of beers and price of the club membership. One happy gifter wrote, “I bought this for my Dad’s birthday and he absolutely loved it! Delivered right to his house, hassle free!” Beer of the Month Club is also offering a special discount when you use Real Simple’s unique promo codes. Get $12 off four shipments with the code microbrewed12. Get $18 off six prepaid orders with the code microbrewed18. Get $35 off 12 prepaid orders with the code microbrewed35. For full offerings, navigate to the U.S. Microbrewed Beer Club page at beermonthclub.com. The beer club allows you to explore the best beer regions far and wide, all from the comfort of your couch. It also focuses on seasonal and limited-edition beers, such as Bavarian Hefeweizens and spiced winter ales. Though these beers are plucked from the four corners of the Earth, you can reorder your favorites any time (or while supplies last for limited-edition beers). The International Beer Club offers a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee, meaning if you don’t love your order, you can let its customer service team know and they will make it right. Similar to all Beer of the Month clubs, you’re able to customize your membership, opting for a recurring subscription or paying by the shipment with choices for delivery frequency, number of shipments, and more. For orders of three or more shipments, you’ll also receive a free bartender-grade bottle opener. Beer of the Month Club is also offering a special discount when you use Real Simple’s unique promo codes. Get $12 off four shipments with the code microbrewed12. Get $18 off six prepaid orders with the code microbrewed18. Get $35 off 12 prepaid orders with the code microbrewed35. The club sends you 12 beers each month from an assortment of national and international breweries. Each shipment comes with three styles of hoppy beer (mostly IPAs), with four bottles or cans of each. As with all Beer of the Month clubs, The Hop-Heads Beer Club comes with tasting notes and information about the history of each featured brewery and beer, which makes it a great gift for true beer lovers. Customization surrounding delivery frequency, number of shipments, and payment method are all available through this club. Beer of the Month Club is also offering a special discount when you use Real Simple’s unique promo codes. Get $12 off four shipments with the code microbrewed12. Get $18 off six prepaid orders with the code microbrewed18. Get $35 off 12 prepaid orders with the code microbrewed35. This specific club comes with its own newsletter as well as history and notes about each beer selection, pairings, and beer aging recommendations. Examples of rare beers that have been included in this club before are tart farmhouse ale, hoppy cedar-aged ale, strawberry pineapple sour ale, coffee cake imperial porter, and barley-wine style ale with coconut. Customers say they love the variety and quality of the beers offered. One reviewer wrote, “I got a three-month subscription for my dad. HE LOVES IT. Has people over to sample it out, even bought a special beer drinking game to enjoy the selections. He ended up extending his subscription because he loves it so much.” Beer of the Month Club is also offering a special discount when you use Real Simple’s unique promo codes. Get $12 off four shipments with the code microbrewed12. Get $18 off six prepaid orders with the code microbrewed18. Get $35 off 12 prepaid orders with the code microbrewed35. This beer subscription is an ideal gift because, beginning with the second shipment (so as not to spoil the surprise), the recipient will receive an email with that month’s beer selections. If they’re not interested in one or more of the beers listed, they can choose to skip that month’s delivery. The subscription also comes with an informative newsletter and a personalized bottle opener. Out of more than 7,000 reviews, Beer Across America has a 4.7 out of 5-star rating. One reviewer wrote, "I absolutely loved my Beer Across America shipment! As a beer enthusiast, I loved all the variety that came in this package—a different type of beer for every taste!" Beer Drop includes 10 cans of beer from five microbreweries (two from each location) based on personalized recommendations. If you upgrade to the Beer Drop Plus or Beer Drop Ultimate plans, you can swap out any of the personalized beer selections with your own picks from Beer Drop’s collection. In the upgraded plans, you’ll also receive some special release and taproom-only beers for a more exclusive experience. Among reviewers’ favorite things about the service are the personalized selections, customer service team, great price, and access to new flavor profiles.
