Cast your minds back to the beginning of the pandemic. What were you buying? Pasta, probably. Pasta sauce, perhaps – even though you *always* make your own from scratch? And toilet roll, most definitely. If you could get your hands on it. Why everyone went so wild for it despite a weakened bladder *not* being a Coronavirus symptom remains one of life’s greatest mysteries.
We then went skincare crazy, investing in luxurious new moisturisers, transformative face exfoliators and fake tans to make ourselves feel a *tiny* bit better about having to stay indoors. If we couldn’t party, we’d pamper; at-home beauty sales went through the roof. More recently, hand sanitisers, lockdown gifts for loved ones and fabric face masks have been among the most shopped for, particularly as we begin to venture outside. And alcohol. ALL the alcohol.
Yup, alcohol sales have risen by an entire third during the pandemic according to the Office for National Statistics – and they’re flying even higher now that we can drink with our pals in the park. From an appropriate distance, of course. It’s no surprise, really – whether you’re a gin guzzler, a wannabe wine connoisseur or a cider super-fan, our favourite tipples have got us through the worst of lockdown. No shame. We’ve stuck to that daily garden Rosé like a religion.
Luckily, since it’s summer 2020, you can get just about every beverage delivered directly to your door without facing the wrath of the supermarket. And beer is no exception. Experiencing something of a renaissance thanks to the reopening of parks, our new-found (forced) obsession with socially distanced picnics, and the fact we’re really missing beer garden pints, beer is back with a bang.
If, like us, you can imagine few things more appealing than a cold can of beer in the sun right now (close your eyes and you’re *nearly* on holiday), you’ll want to know how to shop for your beer in the right way. Supermarkets might have a good selection nowadays, but if you want to be smart, save money and support smaller breweries, you’ll want to get your hands on a beer subscription box. There’s never been a better time to invest in regular deliveries of exciting new craft beers which you can share with your friends at that post-lockdown reunion.
Beer subscription boxes are also up there with the best of ideas for Father’s Day gift ideas – ‘cos what dad wouldn’t love a sparkling new selection of craft beers delivered to his door every month? Exactly.
Up there with our favourites is Beer52. It’s one of the biggest and best names in the world of beer delivery right now, thanks to its changing monthly themes. Each delivery focuses on the beers brewed in a different location – whether that’s California, Korea or Irelend. When you subscribe, you choose whether to receive eight, 10 or 12 beers a month and you can even choose to mix stouts and porters into your deliveries. Oh, and along with your beers you will also receive a magazine and a quirky snack. There’s also BeerBods by Beer Hawk – one that the dads will LOVE. Half the fun of drinking craft beer is being able to impress your friends with pointlessly in-depth knowledge of the beer in front of you – so we love that with this service you get weekly emails equipping you with all the beer knowledge you could ever need. Told you it was one for the dads.