Bitters + Bottles

What's in the box: Each quarter you get a curated selection of craft spirits chosen by the shop's staff; the site does not list the exact contents of each club.

Bitters + Bottles is an independent bottle shop with two Bay Area locations. Its subscription offer is a set of quarterly clubs sold alongside the main store. The site describes the clubs as curated selections delivered every quarter, and it pitches them both as gifts and as treats for yourself. The homepage does not say what each club contains, so check the clubs page for bottle counts and themes before you sign up. The shop's real strength is its curation. It sells private barrel bottlings from producers like Bull Run, George Dickel and Corazon, and its catalog leans toward craft categories such as additive free tequila, amaro, tiki rums and bitters. That suggests the club picks will favor interesting bottles over the usual supermarket shelf. A rewards program gives you points on every purchase, and you can spend them at a recurring auction for rare bottles. The limits are practical. Alcohol shipping rules vary by state, and the shop says it ships to most states, not all, so confirm that yours is covered. Same-day delivery only covers San Francisco. A quarterly schedule also means fewer deliveries than a monthly box. For spirits fans who want a knowledgeable shop to do the choosing, it is a solid option.