CraftX Beer Subscription Launches in Los Angeles

In recent years the amount of craft breweries in Los Angeles has exploded. It seems no matter what city you’re in there’s a brewery nearby and, chances are, it’s beer is fantastic. You all know about my love for Angel City but I enjoy trying new places, too. With so many to choose from how can I possibly hit them all? Well, last week I headed to Indie Brewing for the launch of a new subscription service called CraftX that aims to bring the beer to you.

CraftX was launched by Steve Ezell, Jordan Toplitzky, and Ted Hamory, three Los Angeles residents who were unhappy with the selection available in current beer subscriptions (and at the local market). As fans of the craft beer movement they wanted to bring specialty beers normally only available in the tap room to the general public and that’s just what they did. Each month subscribers will receive  12  16oz cans of beer from 2 different breweries. At this stage the beers will be from local breweries but there are plans to expand across the country in the future.

I was lucky enough to receive a complimentary box to try the service out. This month the two featured breweries are Enegren Brewery in Moorpark and Latitude 33° in Vista and each provided two different beers. I wasn’t familiar with either one and was excited to check them out.

From Enegren I received 3 cans each of Mosaic Dry Hopped Pilsner and Beechwood Smoked Doppelbock. After my last encounter with smoked beer I decided to skip the Doppelbock and ended up giving it to my dad. He really enjoyed it and said it reminded him of smoked ribs. I did give the pilsner a try but it was a bit too bitter for me.

After a disappointing start I next tried Latitude 33°. From them I received 3 each of Syndicate Saison and Blonde Cartel Golden Pale Ale. I actually tried the pale ale at the launch party and really enjoyed it. With a light floral flavor it was quite refreshing. At home I gave the Syndicate Saison a try and liked it just as much. Tart and crisp it made for a tasty treat.

CraftX is currently available in 38 states and is $60 a month for 12 160z cans of beer. That works out to $5 a beer which is not a bad price for a craft brewery, especially considering the varieties are not available in stores. Next month the box will highlight offerings from both Indie Brewing and Wolf Creek Brewing. If you’re a craft beer lover it’s a great way to sample a wide variety of beers without having to drive all over SoCal. It’s like having a tap room in your own home!