Today I received a mystery box at the office. Not expecting anything, I was giddy like a schoolgirl at this surprise. That excitement tripled when I found 12 beers inside from various microbreweries located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After a quick fist pump, a “aww hells yeah!” and a little beer jig, I awkwardly sat down with all eyes staring at me. Screw them, I just got beer!

My girlfriend described it as a man gift, a bouquet of beers. I say skip the other stupid gifts and next time send your friend some delicious craft beer. Here’s a list of some of the best online beer stores, according to Eli from ConfessionsofaBeerGeek.com. Don’t mess with Eli, he knows:

Buy Beer Online at:

1. Ale in the Mail – They’ve got a beer of the month club, where they send you 12 microbrews allowing you to sample some of the best ales and lagers from all over the country. You can also send a tin Party Pail filled with microbrews, just add ice and you got a nice shindig starter.
2. Beer on the Wall – This is where I got my gift box from. I met the owner Rick Steven at the Monterey Beer Festival and he’s a stand-up guy. They have gift baskets, hard-to-find brews, and they can even customize the beer labels for any occasion.
3. John’s Grocery – Every week John posts a new group of special deals on imported, micro and specialty beers. Sign up for his newsletter to get the heads up on what’s in stock.
4. Liquid Solutions – With such an impressive inventory of rare and delicious beers, they truly are “Purveryors of World Class Beer”
5. Beer Geek – They’ve got more beers than you can shake a stick at. I hate that saying, but it’s actually true in this case. Very impressive.
6. Brewforia – These guys have specialty beers, ciders, gift baskets, beer gear and hard-to-find gems in their online store. Bonus: They’ll throw in a bonus beer with an order over $50 and two mystery brews for $100+ orders.

Yeah, speaking of those craft beers from the lady, I’ve already had too many of them, so I’m done with this list. Do you really need ten? Why are these lists always ten? You can find the rest of Eli’s list at Examiner.com. Now go buy some awesome beer you’ve never heard of. And while you’re at it, order some of our 12oz & 22oz beer koozies to keep your specialty brews at the perfect temperature to the last drop.

My suggestion: Go to ratebeer.com or beeradvocate.com and find some of the top-rated beers in the world. Start out easy though, cuz it’s a bad idea to jump straight from the rusty playground that is Milwaukee’s Best into the Thunderdome of Taste that is Stone Imperial Russian Stout or Lost Abbey’s The Angel’s Share (shout-outs to our recently world-famous local brews). You’re welcome in advance, thank Eli because he did the leg work.

Note: With each site, check if your state is one they can legally send alcohol. Apparently, there are certain states that aren’t part of Real America, where you can have booze delivered without even putting on pants.