It was around this time last year when a fan of the Brew Crew told us that we should write up a post about all the brewery memberships/mug clubs around town. To us that sounded like a great idea and then, well, something happened. We got busy and 2012 sprinted to such a sudden end that the story slipped our minds.

Well, thankfully, I, Stoutmeister, remembered the story idea this year and with things fairly quiet on the local beer news front, I had time to throw something together this year.

First, a thanks to all the brewery reps who responded to my email inquiries. While it might seem like a quiet time for us in the beer reporting community, it’s actually quite busy within the breweries as the holidays are looming.

Secondly, in a totally unrelated bit, thanks to Marble for brewing up this year’s batch of Imperial Stout, which is beyond awesome. If you have not had it yet, damn the weather and full speed ahead to your closest Marble location.

Now on to the guide to brewery memberships. We took our info on Broken Bottle and Bosque from their websites, so if anything has changed, well, let us know and we’ll remind them to update their sites, too. For any brewery not listed, it means that they did not respond to us and have nothing on their sites. If they choose to send us info, we’ll update this story and give you a heads up via social media. In some cases, they may not have memberships yet.

So what is a brewery membership? Often also known as a mug club, you basically play a flat fee for one year, after which you get discounts on pints, growlers, special merchandise offers, and more. If you have one particular brewery you spend a lot of time at, it makes a lot of sense to sign up. If you wander constantly between breweries like we do, it might not, but it’s up to you and your annual budget for beer. And yes, in many cases you can purchase a membership for a friend or family member as a gift, so long as he or she is over 21, of course.

If there are any questions we do not answer here, please contact us via social media (or in person if you recognize any Crew members at breweries around town) or contact the breweries directly.

Without further adieu …

Bosque Brewing Co.
Cost: $25
Start date (if any): good for one year from date of sign-up
Discounts: $1 off pints or upgrade to 20-ounce glass (non-seasonal pours), $1 off growler refills
Swag: pint glass, $5 discount on hat or T-shirt

Broken Bottle
Cost: $25
Start date (if any): unknown
Discounts: 20-ounce pour for $4, $1 off pints, $1 off growlers, $.50 off Boston growler refills
Swag: 10% off merchandise

Il Vicino
Cost: $35, purchased at brewery; if giving as a gift, you get a voucher and recipient must bring in proof of age to get club card
Start date (if any): anytime, renews one year from day you sign up
Discounts: $.50 off every pint, $.75 off all 22-ounce glasses
Swag: Mug Club T-shirt, commemorative growler (filled)
Special events: four-to-six mug club gatherings all year including first tappings, preliminary tastings of beers for GABF and World Cup

La Cumbre
Cost: $25
Start date (if any): Dec. 10
Discounts: 22-ounce glasses for 16-ounce price; 10% off kegs; $1 off growler fills
Swag: Mug Club emails, main gift is a bottle of 3rd Anniversary Belgian Quad
Also: can buy at the brewery for yourself or someone else

Marble
Cost: $25
Start date (if any): May 1, 2014, but 2013 memberships still available
Discounts: 22-ounce pint for price of 16-ounce pint; discount on regular pints, growler refills; 10-percent off kegs
Swag: TBD for 2014; for 2013 you can get 30 percent off merchandise (not including growlers, gift packs, beer, or web purchases); you get a Marble Hop Burst Hat, free subscription to electronic newsletter
Additional details: Brew Club Appreciation Day is this Sunday at all three locations. For more info, go to Marble’s official site.

Nexus “Nexus Neighbor”
Cost: $35 single, $50 couple
Start date (if any): none listed
Discounts: for every $100 you spend, $10 off your next ticket (excluding beer); $1 off pints, 20-ounce pours, growlers; 10% off kegs
Swag: choose from a T-shirt, hat, filled growler, or two logo glasses when you sign up
Also: exclusive events TBD; $5 of your fee (or $10 for couples) goes into Nexus Community Fund for donations to non-profits chosen by members

Santa Fe “Regulars Club”
Cost: $50
Start date (if any): one year from the day you sign up
Discounts: happy hour prices at all times, 10% off kegs, $25 cases
Swag: you get invited to the annual Christmas party with all the employees

Tractor “Beer Farmer’s Co-op”
Cost: $35
Start date (if any): likely Dec. 1
Discounts: $1 off pints, $1 off six-packs, 10% off keg purchases
Swag: 2014 edition growler

Turtle Mountain
Cost: $50
Start date (if any): renewals must occur between Dec. 1-31; after Jan. 1 any spots vacated by existing members become open on a first-come, first-serve basis
Discounts: $1 off pints and growlers
Swag: at the Mug Club Party every April there will be a prize; this coming year’s is secret, but past swag has included growler coozies, custom-designed shirts, stainless steel growlers
Other stuff: members are allowed to bring in a vessel to display on shelves and drink from when visiting TMBC; this will be the 15th year of the mug club

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We hope that helps with your holiday shopping for 2013-14. Again, if you have questions, contact us or the individual breweries. There are direct links to all the breweries here on our site.

Enjoy the weekend, bad weather aside, and keep supporting your local breweries!

Cheers!

— Stoutmeister