You drink good beer. And wine. And cocktails. You’ve exhausted the catalog of interesting finds the grocery store has to offer, selected choice bits from specialty stores around town, and even, on your birthday, taken to the Internet to order a bottle of something quite rare. Still with me? Then you’re probably a candidate for the new Saison Market Wine & Beer Club. Heck, even if you’ve got a fridge full of Bud and just want to shake it up occasionally, bingo. They’re already known for their killer taste in craft libations, so letting them do the buying for you — at no additional cost over retail prices — makes all kinds of sense.
The club offers four subscription options: $30, $50, $100 and $200. When you sign up, you can decide whether you want beer, wine, cocktail supplies or a mix of those, and whether you’d like to pick up your box on the 1st or the 15th of each month.
“You can also specify what you particularly like or don’t like, and you can get as specific as Berliner Weisses or California Cabs,” says Saison co-owner Jay Bayer. Saison’s in-house wine and beer aces Virginia Samsel and James Kohler will then build out your box with a smattering of the month’s gems to hit, at minimum, the dollar amount you’re paying for it. Thirty dollars might get you, for instance, a $17 bottle of wine and a couple of awesome small format beers in the $6 to $9 range. Club members will also be prioritized as recipients of any limited releases.
“What happens with a lot of short runs, especially in craft beer, is that beer lovers seek out the spots that are getting the product and buy it all on the delivery date," Bayer explains. "But we want to be sure our loyal customers, the folks who support the Saison brand, have access to the good stuff.” As far as cocktail supplies go, they’ll be portioning out their housemade Hop Tonic and selecting products like unique flavors of bitters to add to the mix.
“The hope is that adventurous drinkers will feel rewarded by the rarity and quality of the products, and happy that they don’t have to do all the legwork of finding them on their own,” Bayer adds. Subscribers in the $100+ camp will also be rewarded with a special mystery gift, but mum’s the word on what it will be.
To sign up, head over to Saison Market at 323 N. Adams St. and pick up your forms; it’s an in-person process. Bonus: It’s also an excuse to kickstart your weekend with something inspired. My pick would be one of the new organic, unfiltered wild yeast wines by Donkey & Goat. Hey hey, rosé!
