Things To Consider Before Purchasing A Beer Subscription
Amount of Beer
If you’re someone who can casually guzzle your way through 8 beers in just two weeks, a standard 8 beer case may not be enough to last you a month. Given the price of these subscriptions, it’s unlikely you want to be spending more money on beer down the supermarket, so try and find a case which matches your monthly appetite! Similarly, if you’re going to end up with cupboards stuffed full of beer in just a few months, maybe consider going for a smaller case.
Price
Ideally, you want your subscription to amount to a slightly lower price than what buying the beers inside would cost individually. You’ll also want to consider the quality and rarity of the beers inside, as if they are sourced from international breweries or small-batch independents, the price will obviously be much higher.
Styles Of Beer
If you only drink dark ales, there’s no point getting a mixed subscription with lots of IPAs and amber ales you won’t touch. Plenty of beer subscriptions offer you the chance to pick selections from only one type of beer, so you can better self-cater for yourself and keep the surprise an enjoyable one!
Choosing Your Own
If you’re something of a connoisseur and don’t want to be surprised by a load of beers not to your liking, it’s often wiser to go with a one-off case option where you can pick each individual beer. Not many subscription services offer choose-your-own features as this would understandably make organising monthly deliveries a lot more complicated.
Rolling Subscriptions
Although pre-paid options are great for gifts, they’re probably not the best idea for personal subscriptions, as if you ever decided to cancel, you may not get your money back or have to go through an annoying refund process. Rolling subscriptions are a pay per month scheme which don’t affect the bank balance too harshly in one go and can usually be cancelled more easily.
Cancel Options
Preferably, you want to pick a subscription that you can easily cancel at a moments notice, without losing money.
Gift Subscriptions
If you want to send the subscription as a gift, it’s best to find a beer club which actually accommodates for this wish, allowing you to prepay for a set amount of months and have the beer delivered to their door.
Delivery Fees
If you’re already paying a lot of money for beer to be sent to your door, it would be annoying to discover that you’re also paying extortionate delivery fees on top of that. Try and choose a subscription which includes free delivery!
Add-ons & Extras
If you’ve a real passion for craft beer and ales, a simple case of unusual beer may not be enough to whet your appetite. For a full beer club experience, it’s often better to choose options which include monthly magazines, beer reviews, online communities and additional items like snacks or beer glasses!
Membership Offers
When joining up to a subscription service, it’s always nice to get a little bit more for your money. Try and choose a beer club which offers discounts as well as vouchers/coupons and rewards that celebrate you as a valued customer!
Discovery
If the point of wanting a beer subscription is to experience new and strange beers you can’t find in the shop… make sure that’s what your subscription is promising! It’s wise to choose a service which offers brand new beers every month and does not recycle the same breweries over and over.
Frequency
Although most services offer a once a month case, some subscriptions offer weekly, fortnightly or even bi-monthly deliveries. Think about how much beer you get through and how frequently you’ll desire a delivery.