Best Craft Beer Clubs

Best Overall: The Rare Beer Club

Why We Chose It: This club provides exclusive access to rare beers for experienced and adventurous craft beer lovers.

What We Like
Access to rare beers
Beers exclusive to the club
Flexibility in monthly shipments

What We Don’t Like
Shipping not included
Only 750-milliliter bottles

If you seek a club that gives you access to beers that are nearly impossible to find outside of its membership, The Rare Beer Club is the right pick. The club promises exclusive rare beers from the world’s best brewers. The decisions for what to include are made by a panel of trusted brewmasters with many years of experience in the industry. An added perk is that some beers are created by breweries only for this club, which makes access to them the ultimate exclusive experience.

This club provides a lot of flexibility in shipments and the amount of beer received. You’ll get two different beer styles in each shipment and you can choose two, four, or six 750-milliliter bottles at a time. Your shipments can arrive monthly, every other month, or every quarter. Before each shipment, you'll receive an email announcing the beers set to arrive. At that point, you can make adjustments to your order like the option to add bottles, replace what is offered in the shipment, remove a featured beer, or skip the shipment completely.

It’s not the least expensive club out there, but access to such rare beers, and some you cannot get anywhere else, makes the club a good value. The cost of the club starts at $37.95 per month plus $15 for shipping. The price increases for both the beer and the shipping when you select the four- and six-bottle club options. Your shipment should arrive the third or fourth week of every month, and the club notes that it ships to all states except Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Utah, and some zip codes in KY. 

Best for Specific Beer Styles: Craft Beer Kings

Why We Chose It: There are nine clubs to choose from that focus on a specific style of beer or a mix of specified styles in each shipment.

What We Like
Single-style clubs
Shipping included

What We Don’t Like
Repeats are possible

Craft Beer Kings is a good choice if you are partial to a specific beer style and want some say in the types of beers that arrive each month. Some more general craft beer clubs might deliver beers that you don’t care for, making this club is a great option for those who know what they like.

There are single-style clubs such as the Hazy IPA , two-style clubs such as the IPA & Sours, or mixed clubs such as Dark Beer and Cali (California) Beer. Regardless of which one you choose, each box includes favorite picks of the latest beers and styles available from top craft breweries.

You will be billed once a month when your box ships until you choose to cancel your membership. The cost of each shipment varies by club, but most of the subscriptions start at $64.99 for six cans of beer and some subscriptions have a 12-beer box option for $104.99. It’s nice to know that shipping is included in the price regardless of which club or how much beer you choose to include. Craft Beer Kings ships to most of the lower 48 states, as state laws allow.

Best for Customization: The Original Craft Beer Club

Why We Chose It: This club aims to please with great customer service, the ability to skip styles, and flexibility in the number of shipments received each year.

What We Like
Free shipping
Some customizing

What We Don’t Like
Duplicate beers

This club is a good choice if you want the flexibility to skip a beer style here and there. In an effort to accommodate special requests, members have the option not to receive beer styles they don’t prefer and to request only bottles or only cans in their shipment. This can affect the number of shipments you receive a year, but the customization ensures you will receive more of what you want.

This craft beer club offers top picks from across the U.S. by aiming to source beer from nearly every state. It sources beers only from craft breweries and brewpubs that are 100 percent independent.

You will receive duplicates of beer styles in one box, but that can be a good thing if you like to give things a second try or want to share with family and friends. Each box contains a dozen 12-ounce beers from two different breweries and each brewery sends two styles. (That means you’ll receive three of each style of beer per shipment.)

There’s no minimum commitment to join the club and you can select to receive beer monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly. Boxes start at $44.75 and shipping is included to all states, with an additional shipping charge to Alaska and Hawaii.

Best for Beers From a Single Region: Beer Drop

Why We Chose It: This club delivers beers from one of the top craft beer destinations in the U.S.

What We Like
Rare beers
Low-cost shipping

What We Don’t Like
Limited information on the website, including shipping details

If you are a craft beer lover and don’t live near the top craft breweries in Colorado, Beer Drop will help you access some of the best beers in the country from microbreweries with limited distribution. You get to choose the styles you want in each shipment and you can opt for one of two upgrades, Beer Drop Plus and Beer Drop Ultimate. These will give you access to larger cans and growlers, some of which are taproom-only releases.

Each month you receive a total of 10, 12-ounce cans, which is made up of two beers from each of five breweries. Club plans start at $39.99 per month, and shipping is $7.99 regardless of the subscription plan you choose. Beer Drop shares on its website that it cannot ship to every state but does not say where it does deliver. Reach out to the company directly for information.