Has anyone had any beer-of-the month club subscriptions they would recommend?

Some of the ones I've seen online seem to just send beer I could find in a grocery store for far less $. I had one sent to me once with some excellent obscure beers that I'll probably never happen upon again, but I can't remember which 'club' that was.

Any suggestions?

(Also, for any moms or kids digging through this forum for gift ideas, getting brand new beers to try every month was terrific, And they were shipped to my work so I got to share them, which was almost as much fun as tasting them. Almost.)

I'm a wine guy, not a beer guy, but I have a thought. I've been meaning to create a post comparing wine clubs vs wine deal sites for a while. I used to belong to a number of wine clubs. Wineries I had discovered in Napa would send a couple of bottles monthly or quarterly -- usually stuff you could only find at the winery. I loved it.

But then I started seeing these same wines pop up on wine deal sites like Woot Wines, Lot 18, and Wine Spies for a whole lot less money. It made me feel betrayed! Loyal customer and member being charged more than the unwashed bargain basement scouring masses.

I dropped all my clubs and subscribed to all the sites above. Now I pick and choose deals based on what stuff I have on hand and what I want to try. I get a wider variety, get exposed to newer makers, and feel confident that I'm always getting the cheapest price.

It's not as convenient as a "month" club, but I wonder if the same thing exists for beer.

Where's Ben when you need him?

I just happen to know an employee of the Boston Brewing Company (he gets two cases of Sam Adams with every paycheck - what a dink!) and I asked him if there was a lot18 for craft beers. He recommended www.beerjobber.com/

Looks promising and, indeed, cheaper than a beer-of-the-month club.

Thanks!

Honestly? Become a beer judge. The exam is now online for $10. Www.bjcp.org There are opportunities to judge everywhere nearly every weekend. Your liver will pay the bill.

Otherwise, here's what we do. Once a month my homebrewing club has a Technical Session. We meet at someone's house and do a comparison of three styles and then whatever someone thinks to bring. Last month, we did American Ales. Two top shelf selections of American Pale, Amber and Brown. Before that it was Munich Helles, Dortmunder Export, and German Pilsner. We get about 8 guys and a gal (a wife & beer judge, no less) and since we're splitting a couple bottles, its a good sampling that lets us drive (or bike) home. We're using a list of triple pairings from the old BJCP exam to guide the tastings. Let me know if you want the list.

Paired with our regular club meetings, I am sated for beer every month for about $5. I'm looking to add a Pub Night to our routine that will get us out supporting the local brewers. By the end of the year, we'll have gone from one brewery brewing. Breweries making 15 gallons at a time to 3 breweries with a total throughput of 29 barrels, or 435 gallons. Which leads me to another option. Mug Clubs. Usually $35 gets you a discount on handcrafted beer at a brewery each year. The one I left had monthly parties with free food and special release events.

But that's just what I'd do. The beer by mail thing just seems a waste.

I have not had "Hahn Superdry" beer... However, judging from their brewing process shown below... that is some seriously good chit!