CraftX: Is This The Craft Beer Club For You?

Craft Beer Joe

7 years ago

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.

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

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

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.

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.