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The holidays are here again and it is time to get serious about gift giving (and gift receiving). I’m a beer geek and chances are that if you are reading this, you are a beer geek, too, so let’s get down to brass tacks.

The question we are all asking right now is A) how do I ask for beer as a gift and B) how should I give beer as a gift?

Beer of the month clubs always come up in discussions this time of year for good reason and here is my take…

PROS:

* Beer of the month clubs make a better “gift” than beer off of the shelf.

Ever got a strange look when you asked for cash as a gift? People don’t like to give cash. The perception is that cash takes little thought and appears to be a last-minute idea. This is why people give cash in the form of gift cards. They’ll even get those AmEx gift cards. Yup, they’ll pay a few bucks to a large corporation just to buy you something that works exactly like cash other than cash.

It is the same thing with beer off of the shelf. You buy someone a six-pack. Have you ever presented beer as a gift after pulling it out of the fridge? Have you ever gifted beer without wrapping it? (Maybe you just kept it in the brown bag it came in, folded the top down, and slapped a bow on it? Or didn’t even bother with the bow?) Did you just get it at the corner store on Christmas Eve?

Talk about showing little thought.

A Beer of the Month Club, on the other hand, shows that you put some thought into the gift and that you did some research.

* Literally, it is the gift that keeps giving

Your gift recipient will be reminded how much of a badass gift-giver you are each time that they get beer delivered to their doorstep.

* Variety in clubs you can choose

Got a beer connoisseur in your life looking for exclusive beers? Go with the Rare Beer Club.

Got someone that you would like to convert into a full-fledged craft beer drinker? Start them off with the Domestic or International Beer Clubs.

CONS:

* A 12-month gift can get up there in price

Which is why you can buy a Beer of the Month Club in a smaller “denomination.” If you don’t have the cash to pony up for a full-year, you can just start with a 2-month gift.

* Less than 1,000 beers from which to choose

Some of us living in metro areas have become accustomed to a giant wall of craft beer when we go into our local liquor store. Ever been a victim yourself of analysis by paralysis and left the store with nothing? Ever seen your drinking buddies hit up one of these shops only to come home with Guinness this or Newcastle that because they’ve heard of those brands on tv? Your drinking buddy (most of them anyway) probably doesn’t know the difference between Founders and Foster’s.

The truth is that most people that will qualify for this gift won’t care what beer they get as long as it is unique and something they haven’t had before. With a beer of the month club, you’re always going to get beer from a craft brewery. And, in my opinion, not knowing what beer will come up each month is part of the element of surprise that makes a beer-of-the-month club particularly attractive as a gift. Month to month, the styles are usually switched up so that the recipient has an opportunity to try different flavor profiles. If you (or your gift recipient) do like to know what beer is coming in advance and you’re interested in beers that are more on the rare side, you can always opt for the Rare Beer Club.

CLUB OPTIONS:

With all of that said, whether you are asking for beer as a gift or giving beer as a gift yourself, you might as well go with the Beer of the Month Club that supports Beernews.org: The Microbrewed Beer of the Month Club, home of the Rare Beer Club. Here is the Beernews.org page dedicated to the Rare Beer Club.

YOU CAN GET UP TO $25 OFF AN ORDER BY USING ONE OF THESE DISCOUNT CODES.

The discount codes can also be applied to all beer clubs in December, not just the Rare Beer Club and can be used multiple times if you have more than one beer geek/lover/fan on your shopping list.

BEERPULSE10 – $10 off ANY Beer Club Membership, Multiple Uses
BEERPULSE15 – $15 off ANY prepaid Beer Club Membership of 6 months or longer
BEERPULSE25 – $25 off ANY prepaid 12 month Beer Club Membership