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Going out to the bar is fun, but so is staying home and playing mixologist. It can be frustrating, though, when you’re in the middle of mixing up a cocktail and realize you’re missing an important ingredient. Enter cocktail subscription boxes. They contain all the ingredients needed to mix up bar-quality cocktails and introduce you to delicious drinks you didn’t realize you could make at home.
The best monthly cocktail subscription boxes assist both novice and experienced home bartenders in crafting classic and contemporary easy-to-make, creative libations. They include clear instructions, quality ingredients, and festive garnishes. With so many companies offering craft cocktail subscriptions that show up at your doorstep, how do you find the best ones? We’re here to help.
We researched eight companies that ship cocktail subscription boxes, some of which include alcohol. Our team collected 14 data points about each company, ranging from price and delivery area to offerings, what’s in each shipment, and avenues for reaching customer service.
Best Overall: Cocktail Courier
- Starting Price: $30/kit
- Free Shipping: Yes
- Products per Delivery: 6 to 8
Why You Should Try It
Cocktail Courier ships everything you need, including nationally-recognized spirits, to create bar-quality cocktails at home. Subscribers can personalize their kits with taste preferences, customize delivery schedules, and choose add-ons such as glassware and bar tools to build up their home bar supplies.
Pros and Cons
Overview
Cocktail Courier is the best overall cocktail subscription box. It has two subscription choices (with or without the alcohol), is customizable, delivers to 48 states, and has free delivery. Simply tell the service about your favorite spirits, and kits will be tailored to your preferences. The kits come with recipes from top professional bartenders, full-size (375ml) bottles of spirits, and enough mixers and garnishes to craft six to eight drinks. Subscribers can also choose a less expensive “Just the Mix” kit and use the spirits they already have at home.
Subscriber dashboards have a personal recipe library and the ability to leave reviews on the cocktails they’ve shaken, stirred, and poured. The delivery frequency of the craft cocktail subscription boxes is customizable: weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly. You can skip deliveries with no penalties. While the cocktail boxes can be purchased à la carte, home mixologists save an average of 20% when they sign up for a subscription. Gift cards are available, too.
Pricing and Plans
- Just the Mix (no alcohol included): $30
- Classic Size (with alcohol): $50
Best for Mixers: Shaker & Spoon
- Starting Price: $59/month
- Free Shipping: No
- Products per Delivery: 12
Use code BRIDES10 for 10% off your next order
Why You Should Try It
Shaker & Spoon’s subscription cocktail boxes include everything but the alcohol needed to make four servings of three different cocktails using just one spirit. Recipes are created by award-winning cocktail creators, and the boxes include house-made specialty syrups, bitters, garnishes, mixers, and citrus.
Pros and Cons
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Recipes created by award-winning mixologists
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Email sent before box arrives suggests what spirit to buy
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Delivery to all 50 states
Overview
The mixers from Shaker & Spoon are created in small batches with house-made ingredients, just as you’d find in respected craft cocktail bars. Award-winning mixologists create the cocktail recipes, plus they suggest which brand of spirit would be best for the cocktail. Shaker & Spoon’s staff hand-selects the fresh produce that goes into their products. (Leftover produce is donated to charity.)
Subscribers can choose to commit to a month-by-month subscription, but there’s a discount for committing to three, six, or 12 months paid upfront. You can also choose the specific box you want to start the subscription and skip a cocktail subscription box anytime without being charged. Additional single mixers can be purchased through the website, so favorite cocktails can be recreated once the original supplies run out. Subscriptions can also be sent as a gift.
Pricing and Plans
- $59/box month to month
- $169 for 3-month prepay ($56/box)
- $319 for 6-month prepay ($53/box)
- $599 for 12-month prepay ($50/box)
Best Variety: SaloonBox
- Starting Price: $55/month
- Free Shipping: Yes
- Products per Delivery: Varies
Why You Should Try It
The curated subscription cocktail boxes come with everything needed in all the right sizes to make two servings of two different cocktails, including the alcohol, which arrives as a separate delivery. Those who want to use their own alcohol, or live in a state where alcohol delivery isn’t offered, can choose subscriptions with just the recipes and mixers.
Pros and Cons
Overview
SaloonBox allows subscribers to try various top-shelf spirits without committing to an entire 375ml bottle. Some of the spirits are not available to the general public in these smaller sizes, making it a great way to try some brands without committing to a large bottle. A great option for two people, the kits include enough to make two servings of two different cocktails. There’s a less expensive no-spirit option, too, with only the small-batch mixers, syrups, bitters, and garnishes in the monthly box.
The SaloonBox team creates original, seasonal cocktail recipes in conjunction with bartenders. Subscribers get to be in charge of what they’re sent, too.You can skip or make substitutions if the ingredients don’t appeal. Subscriptions come in three, six, or 12-month prepaid plans, as do gift subscriptions
Pricing and Plans
- $173 for 3-month prepay ($58/month)
- $339 for 6-month prepay ($56.50/month)
- $656 for 12-month prepay ($55/month)
Best Value: American Cocktail Club
- Starting Price: $54/month
- Free Shipping: Yes
- Products per Delivery: 4
Why You Should Try It
This “5-star cocktails” monthly cocktail subscription box comes with all the ingredients— spirits and mixers—to make four servings of a single cocktail. Recipe cards are included, and you can also see the recipe, along with the information about the mixologist who created it, on the website each month.
Pros and Cons
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Focus on quality mixers
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Free shipping
Overview
The American Cocktail Club is a good value because it’s less expensive than other cocktail subscription boxes while still providing everything needed—the spirits, mixers, garnishes, and an original cocktail recipe each month. Each kit creates four servings of a single cocktail, and mixers contain fresh, natural, low-sugar ingredients.
Everything boxes (with booze and mixers) and Everything but the Booze boxes ship after the 20th of each month, so subscribers know exactly when to expect their cocktail box. The club offers month-to-month, three-, six-, and 12-month subscriptions. The longer the commitment, the greater the savings, and shipping is free for all levels. Gift subscriptions are also available.
Pricing and Plans
Everything boxes:
- $60 month to month
- $174 for 3-month prepay ($58/month)
- $336 for 6-month prepay ($56/month)
- $648 for 12-month prepay ($54/month)
Best for One-Time Purchases: The Cocktail Box Co.
- Starting Price: $23/single kit
- Free Shipping: Yes
- Products per Delivery: Varies
Why You Should Try It
While not everyone wants to commit to a monthly cocktail subscription box, you still might still like the ease of having everything—minus the booze—to create classic cocktails delivered right to your doorstep.
Pros and Cons
Overview
The Cocktail Box Co. includes everything in one box (actually, it’s a tin) to create three servings of a single classic cocktail such as a gin and tonic, Moscow mule, or Manhattan. Inside each tin are syrups, bitters, and juices to create bar-quality cocktails made with spirits, which are purchased separately.
The tins are compact and ingredients come in small pouches (think ketchup packets), so they stay fresh until used. Small enough to throw in a bag for travel, these portable cocktail kits are used to create quality drinks at home, on the plane (just ask for a cup of ice and a small bottle of booze), or at your vacation spot.
Pricing and Plans
- $22.99/kit
- $69.99/4-pack variety
- $99.99/6-pack variety
- $129.99/8-pack variety
Our Unboxing Process
The fun part about putting together this roundup was opening each delivery box and making some cocktails. We captured the unboxing process to help you decide which cocktail subscription box might be best for you. We paid attention to:
- The outside packaging: How sturdy was the box?
- The inside packaging: How were the contents secured inside the delivery box?
- Extras: What else besides the actual products were in the box? We wanted to know if the companies included any literature or freebies such as glasses, tasting notes, etc.
Final Verdict
Final Verdict
There are many great choices for monthly craft cocktail subscriptions. Some companies send subscribers everything from the booze to the fresh citrus needed to be an expert home mixologist. Others allow subscribers to pick and choose what they want. Cocktail Courier includes the best of them all, offering plenty of flexibility and choices, with or without the spirits. Subscribers can customize their delivery schedule, add on glassware or bar tools, and skip months with no penalty.
What Is a Cocktail Subscription Box?
A cocktail subscription box is a monthly delivered box for cocktail lovers. It includes a kit with all the ingredients needed to craft bar-quality cocktails from the comfort of home. Many kits offer options with or without alcohol, allowing subscribers to choose to use the spirits offered or those they already have. Cocktail recipes are usually created by experienced bartenders and award-winning mixologists, so subscribers know the recipes they’re getting have been thoroughly vetted.
How Much Do Cocktail Subscription Boxes Cost?
The price of cocktail subscription boxes can vary but usually run in the $30 to $60 range per month. Subscription boxes that don’t include alcohol are less expensive than subscription boxes that include it. Many craft cocktail subscriptions offer discounts for a commitment, so a month-to-month subscription is often more expensive per month than a three-, six-, or 12-month subscription. Some subscriptions come with free shipping.
Can You Choose the Different Types of Cocktails Included in Your Box?
The option to select different types of cocktails in a subscription cocktail box varies depending on the company. Many companies do offer some flexibility. Some ask for preferences so boxes can be curated to the subscriber’s taste, while others allow you to skip a month or choose another option if that month’s cocktail doesn’t appeal. Even for boxes that don’t allow customization, the cocktails change from month to month, so subscribers do get variety.
Methodology
Selecting quality cocktail subscription boxes that don’t disappoint is our top priority, and we assessed 45 different alcohol delivery services to determine which have the best cocktail subscription boxes. We considered the quality and creativity of the products offered, flexibility in choosing options, prices, shipping costs, delivery areas, and the number of products in each box.