The Best Australian Online Shops for Craft Beer
Craft beer’s evolution is reviving our drinking culture, making more and more specialised online retailers join the party. They offer an exciting range of new drinking options, including the best independent labels that you won’t find at your local bottle shop.
Where to Buy the Best Craft Beer in Australia?
Beer Cartel
Beer Cartel is one of the most popular online beer shops Melbourne and Australia wide! With over 1,100 beers in their catalogue and products from Nepal, Lebanon, and Brazil, it’s safe to say that the selection here goes well beyond the standard slabs of VB and New. It’s a simple site to navigate, with beers organised by country, style, and brewery, and the staff recommendations are a nice touch. You can also join their monthly beer club or purchase a mixed pack, which is ideal as a gift for a beer enthusiast friend or for a tasting session. Choosing from such a large selection can be difficult, but the award-winning Two Birds Taco is the perfect wheat ale for your Mexican feast for an easy-drinking option.
Purvis Beer
When the store started operating in 2010, craft beer was not that popular. Purvis, located in the fertile grounds of Richmond, is one of those beer shops Melbourne beer lovers could spend an entire afternoon just browsing, with over 1200 beers available online and in-store. Their selection of Belgian beers is awe-inspiring, with Chimay magnums, fruit-flavoured Lindemans lambics, and, somehow, the Westvleteren XII, one of the world’s most sought-after beers.
Beer Store
Besides their lager Piss of Geelong Brewing, Beer Store offers plenty more, including the craft beer heroes such as Mountain Goat, James Squire and 3 Ravens. They’re also particularly good at stocking little-seen but intriguing independents-check out their stash of Skinny Blonde, the brew of former Vines Drummer and craft beer guru Hamish Rosser. It’s reminiscent of Japanese beers like Asahi, though hard to find outside inner Sydney. The website layout is simple and intuitive, making it easy to get the beer off the computer screen and down your throat.
Hops and Craft
Hops and Craft is an intriguing new option for satisfying your craft beer needs, as it is a curated craft beer subscription service. Each month, you’ll receive a dozen different craft beers from across the country and all the tasting notes and background information you’ll need to become an instant expert. Because there are no contracts to sign, it’s simple to try it out. Expect the unexpected with hundreds of craft beers in stock, but your mixed dozen could include Sydney Brewery’s light Glamorama Summer Ale, a Quiet Deeds IPA, or a Boatrocker Smash Ale.
Beer Bud
Beer Bud allows you to search beers by type, brewery, or Australian region for those who know exactly what they want and when they want it. If you’re unsure, go straight to their Craft Beer and Craft Cider pages, but we recommend looking around because their selection is incredible. Beer Bud also has access to rare and limited releases, including brews from Doctors Orders and KAIJU, often experimental and packed with flavour. Moreover, Beer Bud offers low prices and quick delivery as part of the package.
Crafty Brew
Crafty Brew is all about supporting independent Australian breweries. Playing on Crafty Brew’s Build a Box page is the best thing to do. Choose the number of beers you want, the style or styles you prefer, the excellent beer strength, and the price range you want to spend. They will present you with a list of options that match your wish list, which you can either ignore or add to your cart. It’s similar to a personality test, only with beer.
The Benefits of Shopping Your Craft Beer Online
Convenience
People buy everything online, from electronics to clothes, because it’s more convenient, and the same can be said for ordering alcohol. You can now place orders for your favourite breweries from the convenience of your home computer or even your smartphone. That means you won’t waste time driving to the beer shop, browsing the aisles, or waiting in line to make your purchase. Some online beer stores even deliver on the same day. If you’re craving a bottle of a cold beer after a long day at work, you can have the bottle delivered to your door within a few hours of placing your online order.
Save Money
The second most significant advantage of purchasing your beer online is the money you’ll save! And we’re talking about more than just saving money on gas because you won’t have to drive to the store. Many online beer stores provide lower prices for their products. This also applies to their higher-end stock. As a result, you’ll get the best price on your favourite bottles without travelling around.
Wide Selection
Space is a constraint in traditional brick and mortar stores. As a result, they stock the most popular items. And what sells best is usually what the masses want rather than what more refined connoisseurs look for. If you live in a big city with a lot of options close by, a limited selection isn’t such a bad thing. However, finding the kind of selection you’re looking for in smaller towns or rural areas can take a lot of driving.
Rare Varieties
Beer connoisseurs and collectors usually have difficulty finding rare bottles at their local stores. Local supermarkets cannot stock their shelves with high-end varieties that cost a lot of money to bring in and even more money to lose if they don’t sell. If you’re looking for something hard to come by, you can probably find it in an online store. You can find rare bottles that you’ve been looking for for years and something new that you might want to try!
