Ok, so I’m not entirely sure if this is the very first beer club in Hawaii, but it is the only one I know of right now. Bonzer Front, an awesome bottle shop and market in Haleiwa, has recently started a beer of the month club.

The concept is simple. For $30 a month you’ll receive a unique, eclectic and sometimes rare selection of beers equalling $30 or more in retail value. Your credit card is charged each month and you pick up the beers. The fun of joining a monthly club like this is getting to try lots of new beers that you may not normally be aware of.

Each month’s beers are available to pick up on the 1st and must be picked up from Bonzer Front in Haleiwa. If you don’t live near the North Shore, don’t worry. They’ll hold your beers so you can pick them up at anytime. You can make a monthly weekend jaunt to Haleiwa and enjoy a day at the beach in the process. Membership benefits also include 10% off all beer, wine, and spirits in the store and 25% off all in-store tastings and events (beer and wine tasting held monthly.)

Clubs like this are common in wine circles and Bonzer Front also offers a monthly wine club (same deal – $30/month.)

This month’s selections come from Upright Brewing. This amazing brewing out of Portland specializes in mostly Belgian styles and is particularly known for their Saisons or Farmhouse ales. We haven’t seen Upright’s beers in Hawaii for a few years and it’s nice to have them back. Upright Five and Seven are included in this month’s selection.

Upright Five (#5)
Style: Saison
Rate Beer Score 96 overall

Five is a farmhouse pale ale that was born after enjoying a few small production European brews that use a heavy hand of hops. Ours blends several Mt. Angel grown varieties to create a deep and complex flavor with an underlying earthiness. Pale fruit aromas created during the fermentation brighten the profile and bring the beer balance.
Malts: organic pale,organic caramel
Unmalted: rolled barley
Hops: willamette, liberty, perle
5.5% abv

Upright Seven (#7)
Rate Beer score 96 overall

Seven is our most aromatic beer. The brewery’s saison yeast is fully expressed in the aroma with lots of fruitiness while the hops provide light spice notes. The beer has some heft mid-palette but finishes dry with a lightly lingering bitterness. Seven is satisfying on its own but pairs great with a variety of typically fragrant cuisines such as Thai or Indian.
Malts: organic pale, pilsener, organic munich
Hops: magnum, mt.rainier, hallertauer mittelfrüh, liberty
8% abv