The Five Best Online Bottle Shops for Craft Beer in Melbourne
The biggest range at the shortest possible walking distance.
As enjoyable as perusing fridges full of boutique beer may be, sometimes we just don't have the time to deliberate over the perfect pale ale. Or sometimes, we might schlep our way down to the bottle shop, only to find the brew we have a hankering for is nowhere to be seen. Or worse yet, you might have confused the closing time of your local bottle-o, leaving you stranded and more than a little thirsty.
Instead of sending out a distress signal, jump on the interwebs and check out Melbourne's online craft beer bottle shops. Whatever craft beer you're craving, you'll find it with one of these online beer havens.
LIQUORUN
Established in 2013, Liquorun all started when three teammates coming home from an interstate match wanted to throw a party but were out of luck when it came to supplying the goods. Liquorun delivers alcohol, food and cigarettes to the inner suburbs of Melbourne. To check if that includes your share house, visit their website. Once your address is registered, you can select beers from several different bottle shops in your area, therefore if at first you don't succeed in finding your one true brew, try and try again. Orders can be delivered up until 11pm and should arrive in 30-60 minutes, so if you want some late-night brewskis, you could be in luck. Liquorun is now set up in Brisbane and Sydney, because our fellow East Coasters shouldn't miss out on the fun.
HOPS AND CRAFT
These guys are dedicated to enhancing your boutique beer experience, and are all about the craft that goes into your, um, craft beer. While you can freely pick and choose from a serious range of Australian craft beers, if it's value for money you're after, subscribe to their beer club. You will receive a box of 12 carefully curated beers (and the occasional cider) every month, as well as a micro magazine they produce in house on all things craft beer related. For most orders, delivery takes between 3–7 days, so if there is something specific your heart desires, you best be organised.
BEER BUD
For those who know what they want when they want it, you can search beers by their type, by brewery, or by Australian region at Beer Bud. If in doubt, you can go directly to their Craft Beer and Craft Cider pages, but we really do recommend having a snoop around; their selection is insane. Beer Bud also has access to rare and limited releases that are often a little experimental and packed with flavour, including brews from Doctors Orders and KAIJU!. Low prices and fast delivery are all part of the deal at Beer Bud.
CRAFTY BREW
It's all about supporting independent Australian breweries at Crafty Brew. The greatest thing to do on Crafty Brew is to play on their Build a Box page. Select the quantity of beers you're after, the style (or styles) you like, the ideal beer strength and the price range. They will bring you a selection of possibilities to match your wish list and you can either skip over them or add them to your cart. It's like a personality quiz, but with beer.
BEER DAYS
If you're curious about craft beer from across the globe as well as local brews, we suggest ordering yourself a Beer Box today. Beer Days began as a company that hosted boutique beer events in Sydney. Now they have become equally well renowned for their bundles of joy – the Beer Boxes delivered straight to your door. You can choose between a box of 8, 12 or 16 beers and the frequency that you receive them. A few of this month's crafties include Brookes American Pale Ale and Sierra Nevada Kellerweis. For something a little stronger, you can upgrade to a Sixpoint Resin Double IPA, which will knock your damn socks off.
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