If you are like me, you are constantly looking to try new beer from new breweries. It’s one of the many things that I love about craft beer. However, there is a limit to the selection of our local areas. That is where craft beer clubs and mailing programs can be really helpful. They can provide beer to you from areas that you normally don’t have access. CraftX is the latest of these clubs but their approach is unique. Are they the craft beer club you’ve been waiting for?
What Is CraftX
CraftX is a modern interpretation of the “classic beer of the month club”. The goal of CraftX is to take the beer of the month club to new heights which meant they had to create a program from scratch. The program officially launched on May 22nd so it is brand new.
Instead of receiving standards offerings from a few breweries, CraftX provides unique beers canned just for them. That’s right; the beer they are sending you has been contracted by CraftX to be canned just for their customers. This takes a lot of effort on the behalf of the CraftX staff. They tirelessly search for great breweries that are often overlooked by large distributors. Being a CraftX member allows you to try high quality beers from unique breweries that you would normally never get to try.
The co-founders, Steve Ezell, Jordan Toplitzky, and Ted Hamory want to ensure that the beer you receive is fresh, authentic and high quality. They work with independent brewers so you can rest assured that you are getting craft beer that was made with the passion and integrity that you expect.
Take a look at this short video for more detail about who they are, why they exist and how the program works for you.
CraftX – Launching May 22 from CraftX, Inc. on Vimeo.
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What Will They Send Me?
First off, CraftX wants you to feel quality in every aspect of the process. This includes the box that the beer comes in. The box is insulated, recyclable and reusable. It’s reusable so you can share beer with others in a box that is made for shipping beer and can be used up to four times.
Inside the box, you will find twelve 16-oz cans of beer. The beers are from two different breweries; each providing two different styles. You can get three of each or a 5:1 split. These beers are canned just days before being shipped to you which means the beer is at peak freshness.
Here are a few examples of what the initial CraftX boxes will contain:
- Example 1
- Enegren Brewing (Moorpak, CA)
- The Big Meat, smoked dopplebock
- Lagertha, pilsner
- Latitude 33 Brewing (Vista, CA)
- Blond Cartel, blonde ale
- Syndicate Saison, saison with rhubarb & basil
- Enegren Brewing (Moorpak, CA)
- Example 2
- Indie Brewing (Los Angeles, CA)
- Never Nude, dry hopped saison
- Indie, Uh, Pale Ale?, pale ale
- Wolf Creek Brewing (Valenica, CA)
- Arctic Wolf, white IPA w/ blood orange
- Little Red Ryeding Hood, red rye ale
- Indie Brewing (Los Angeles, CA)
The service is $50 / month if you sign up for 3 months at a time and that includes shipping.
That makes each can only $4.16
I believe that is quite a value for a 16oz can of craft beer that you normally would not have access to.
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Final Thoughts
Since this company just launched; I haven’t tried them out just yet. But here are a few thoughts to help you determine if this beer club is for you.
Pros
- True craft beer from independent breweries
- Mixture of two different breweries and four different styles
- Canned fresh
Cons
- Limited amount available; luckily you can reorder the ones you like until CraftX runs out
- Could end up with up to three 16oz cans of a beer you do not like
- Inability to exclude specific styles from your orders
So if you are open to trying new breweries and styles, then this is probably the program for you.
To my knowledge, no one else is operating a beer club program like this. Learn more at this website. If you decide to try them out; let me know what you think about their service. I am anxious to see if it is as good as it sounds.
Do you belong to a monthly beer club? If so, what do you like or dislike about it?
3 thoughts on “CraftX: Is This The Craft Beer Club For You?”
I just got my first CraftX shipment yesterday, so everything is still chilling in the fridge until I get home from work today. With the cost of shipping beer, I thought the overall price is pretty reasonable. I live in SW MO, in fairly close proximity to some good breweries (Prairie, Ozark Beer Co, Mother’s), but it is at least an hour drive to a decent bottle shop. I don’t have access to a lot of “whales” or highly sought after brews to use as trade bait for the NE or West Coast beers that everyone is crazy about. CraftX may not sending out Tree House or Trillium each month, but I thought it looked like a good way for me to try some beers/breweries.
Some observations:
They give you the chance to select your allocation within each brewery’s selections – not a big fan of smoked beers, so this month from Enegren Brewing I chose 1 Big Meat and 5 Lagertha, then 2 Syndicate and 4 Blonde Cartel from Latitude 33
Box included info cards with details about each brewery and the beers for the month
12 upcoming breweries are currently listed on their website, but no details on the individual beers yet (seem to all be from CA)
Packaging – the box was pretty sturdy, but it could probably use a little more padding inside. The cans were just sitting in the box with nothing else around them or between them.
Schedule – the next month’s selections will be available to choose from during the third week of each month – shipments go out around the first Monday of each month
It looks like you will be able to reorder beers that you like (in 12 pack QTY) if still available.
Without having actually tried any of the beers yet, I’m pretty happy with my purchase so far. I plan on sticking with it for a while to see how it develops.
Justin
Hey Justin – Thanks for that feedback. Sounds like they are delivering on everything they promised. Glad to hear that. I love how you can alter the mix slightly to meet your flavor preferences. This is a great program for someone like you that doesn’t have access to as much variety as you want. Thanks again; cheers!