There are plenty of beer subscription services to choose from, but what you get ‒ and what you have to pay ‒ can vary widely.
If you fancy enjoying a regular supply of beer, then signing up for a beer subscription service can be a smart idea.
After all, everyone enjoys getting something fun in the post!
However, with so many varied services on offer ‒ all offering members something different ‒ it can be tricky to work out which service might be right for you.
Here we’ve run down what you get included from the various providers, what it will cost you and how easy it may be to pause or cancel your subscription.
Beer52
One of the best-known alcohol subscription services is Beer52.
Members receive eight beers each month, along a certain theme. For example, one month the beers may all come from Germany, the next they all come from America.
Alongside the beers, you also get a snack and a magazine, about that month’s collection of drinks. Obviously, the fact that the drinks change each month means that your enjoyment of them can be pretty variable.
Subscribers can choose from either a selection of light and dark beers or purely light beers.
The Beer52 subscription costs £27 for eight beers, though you can pay £32 for 10 beers or £37 for 12.
The subscription can be paused or cancelled at any time, and it’s really easy to do ‒ you can pause or change your subscription online, though you will need to call the firm to cancel it entirely.
It’s also easy to get a taste of how Beer52 as it constantly runs promotions ‒ particularly with podcasts ‒ offering the chance to get your first box and only have to pay the cost of delivery.
The business has branched out into wine too, with Wine52. For £32 a month, you get three bottles of wine, a snack and a magazine.
Brewdog and Friends
An alternative option is Brewdog and Friends, where you get eight beers each month, of four different styles. One style will come from Brewdog itself, with the remainder from partner breweries.
You can go for a quarterly subscription, where the first three months comes to £39.90 for new members. After that, it rises to £59.85, including delivery.
Alternatively, you can go for a pay as you go option, where each box costs £19.95, plus a delivery charge of £3.95.
Subscribers can ‘skip’ a month, or cancel through the website. You just have to make sure you do so before the 2nd of the month to avoid an auto-renewal.
Beerbods
Beerbods is a subscription service run by a firm called Beerhawk, and sees you receive a box of eight beers every eight weeks.
The idea is that you drink one per week as a member of a ‘beer club’ ‒ there’s a live tasting online at 9pm every Thursday, while you will also be emailed the story behind the beer.
The thinking goes that it tastes better if you understand its background.
The Beerbods subscription costs £24, which includes the cost of delivery.
If you want to cancel, you will need to phone Beerhawk ‒ you can’t simply do it online.
Honestbrew
There are two options with Honestbrew subscriptions ‒ IPAs and pale ales, or a mixed style which includes dark beers and lagers.
You can also choose how many beers are included in each delivery.
A six beer box sets you back £22.90, a nine beer box will cost £29.90 per box, while a 12 beer box costs £36.90.
There’s plenty of control involved with an Honestbrew subscription, as you can choose how often you receive the beers, and can cancel or pause the subscription at any time.
Best of British Beer
If you’re only interested in booze from these shores, then you might prefer the Best of British Beer subscription.
It’s been around for a long time ‒ its club has been going for over a decade now ‒ and each case is delivered with a pub quiz and tasting notes. What’s more, the first case comes with a craft beer glass too.
You can opt for six or 12 beer packs, and there are options for just craft beers, craft lagers, ciders or a mix.
For example, to join the craft beer club and pay monthly it will cost you £21.60 a month, but if you go for the three-month membership it costs £67.05.
Beerwulf
Beerwulf is a little different, in that rather than getting cans or bottles, you instead get your beer delivered in kegs.
There are a few well-known names on offer, such as Amstel, Heineken and Birra Morretti. The kegs are designed to be used with the SUB beer tap, made by Beerwulf, which you can buy as a one-off or pay for through your subscription.
To get a selection of four kegs each month costs £49.90 a month, while eight kegs cost £62.90.
To get the SUB included, a two-month package will set you back £64.90 ‒ the firm reckons you end up paying £89 for the SUB, which is £20 less than if you buy it outright.
Only sign up for what you will use
I have tried a few different subscription services like those in this piece, and on the whole, I’ve really enjoyed them.
There have been times when I’ve forgotten the fact that the subscription is still active though, and while discovering a box of beer on your front doorstep can be a welcome surprise, that may not always be the case if money is tight.
As a result, it’s really important to keep on top of any subscriptions you have in place, when the money is likely to leave your account, and how much notice you need to provide in order to pause or even outright cancel your deliveries.