While we may be able to get back in to (and outside) the pub, many of us are still keen to keep drinking at home - and a drinks subscription service can offer variety as well as being an ideal gift.
From drams to pints, gins and coffee, there's something for all with these top drinks subscriptions.
Whisky expert, regular panelist on BBC Radio 4’s The Kitchen Cabinet, and author of Chasing the Dram: Finding the Spirit of Whisky, Rachel McCormack has teamed up with Cocoa Runners, pioneers in the sale of Craft Chocolate, to create a whisky and craft chocolate monthly subscription service.
The subscription includes three hand-picked whiskies both from Scotland and around the world.
Each whisky is paired by Rachel with a corresponding craft chocolate bar of exceptional quality, which allows subscribers to explore pairing, and tasting, and to experience these great products together.
This subscription service at £39.95 a month is ideal for both first time drinkers looking for an introduction into the fascinating world of whisky, and also the avid whisky lover wanting to stretch their tastebuds with the delicious pairings on offer.
As whisky and chocolate have not yet seen a pairing subscription service, Cocoa Runners and Rachel McCormack are delighted to introduce these unique monthly boxes to the premium food and drink market.
The boxes are effortlessly delivered every month, with subscribers never receiving the same whisky or chocolate twice.
Accompanying each box is a tasting guide, complete with information on the chocolate makers and bean origins, history of the various distilleries, extensive tasting notes, and an explanation of why each pairing has been chosen.
The subscription can also be purchased as a gift (for three, six, or 12 months), complete with a pdf gift certificate, making it a perfect present for food and drink lovers.
Find out more and listen to a tutored tasting via our podcast Scran.
Scottish brewery Fyne Ales recently launched the UK’s first at-home cask ale subscription service to bring traditional draught beer to homes across the country
The Mini-Cask Club offers 10-litres of expertly brewed real ale for delivery every month, with members offered a choice of their flagship session beer, Jarl, or a combination of Jarl and a brand-new beer.
Speaking of the new ale subscription service, Fyne Ales’ Jamie Delap said: “We don’t know when Scottish pubs will reopen, but do we know from our online shop sales of mini-casks that real ale drinkers are missing proper pints of cask beer while Covid-19 restrictions are in place.
“We want to bring the pub home for them by delivering 18 pints of fresh beer to their door every month.”
Mini-Cask Club membership is £40 per month including delivery, which is the equivalent of £2.22 per pint of the brewery’s craft ales.
The beer is packaged in recyclable metal 5-litre barrels with a pressure release vent on the top – similar to full size casks normally used for real ales in pubs and bars.
In spring 2019 Edinburgh's Old Curiosity distillery, located within the Secret Herb Garden, launched its Gin Club to give gin lovers the chance to sample a brand new and exclusive gin flavour every month.
When members join the gin club by the Old Curiosity Distillery, they will receive a special box at the beginning of each month that will include a unique, limited edition 20cl gin – created especially for Club members and unavailable from retailers – as well as the perfect mixer and a freshly-picked garnish.
Each monthly gin will have a seasonal twist, for example Red Red Rose gin for Valentine's Day or a festive spiced gin for December.
All of the herbs and botanicals within the gins are grown, hand-picked, dried and infused by the team at the Secret Herb Garden, and they are are all 100 per cent natural; free of chemicals, sugars and flavour compounds.
Prices start from £25 per month and you can sign up for one month, three, six or 12 months.
Ideal for whisky lovers or those keen to try different styles, Craft Whisky Club offers subscription service with one or two bottles sent every two months.
Resident experts at the Craft Whisky Club handpick small batch and artisan whiskies, carefully selecting exciting and innovative distillers from Scotland and beyond.
Each box includes a specially selected food pairing and information about the distillery and subscribers can choose from either one bottle or two bottles of whisky every two months, which are £59.90 and £111.90 per box.
Limited edition bottles come from award winning distilleries from all over the world, such as American Whiskey, Rye and Bourbon producers to independent bottler and blender, Douglas Laing, who have just launched The Epicurean Edinburgh Edition, which pays homage to our historic capital.
This set includes a full bottle of Douglas Laing Epicurean Edinburgh Edition, of which there are only 600 bottles available, and a packet of Sicilian lemon shortbread from the Edinburgh Shortbread Company.
As the name suggests, this whisky, wine and beer subscription service, based in Aberdeen, takes the faff and pretentiousness out of buying good quality drinks.
Each box contains six sample bottles along with tasting notes to help guide you when enjoying at home along with cocktail recipes (for whisky).
Prices start at £40 and more information on signing up can be found on their website.
The Winebuyers Exclusive Wine and Champagne Club is an ideal buy for those that enjoy contemporary wine - with no membership fee.
Benefits include direct access to vineyards and wine merchant, with over 50,000 wines from 40 countries all on the site.
There's also a food pairing filter to help choose which bottles to try - from pairing with a Sunday roast to Friday night pizza.
Prices of wine start from less than a tenner to over £10k.
There's also a dedicated blog for finding out more about wine as well as a quick guide to tastings.
For more info and to sing up, visit their website.
Picture: Dear Green
Ideal for any coffee fan, Glasgow's Dear Green coffee subscription offers three, six or 12 monthly options.
The coffees available in the subscription are picked by the roaster at Dear Green and include freshly roasted single origin coffee that is currently causing a stir within Dear Green HQ.
The team say: "You'll get to taste your way around the coffee producing world, from the zippy acidity and vanilla smoothness of South and Central American coffees to the delicate floral, lively and unique flavours of African coffees.
"There are many origins and flavours to get through; we’ll choose our highlight of the month to send to you!
"Packed straight from the roaster to a de-gassing bag and directly to your front door."
Prices start at £10.95 with the options of whole bean, cafetiere, aeropress, filter and espresso.
