Here at Ales by Mail, we are always looking for new ways to improve on our service to our customers. We know that even though we provide a rapid craft beer delivery service, we have some customers for whom their beer still cannot arrive quickly enough.

Taking our inspiration from how companies such as Amazon and Apple have revolutionised the mail order market with music downloads and e-books we have developed the Direct Download Beer Delivery system(tm).

Using the DDBD(tm) system customers will soon be able to download e-beers direct to their computer. Simply hold your empty glass to your CD drive and your beer will be delivered straight to your glass as seen in the image.

Early beta tests have been promising and we plan to start trials of the system very soon. We will also be introducing an app that will allow you do download beer to your IOS or Android device.

We believe that this will revolutionise the beer drinking experience, and allow all our customers to enjoy quality craft beer within minutes of placing an order.

Until the the DDBD ™ system is released, please continue to order your craft beer from Ales by Mail in the usual way. We can deliver 24 bottles of beer for just one delivery charge, and with 300 different beers available to pick and mix you can create the perfect selection of beers to suit any taste.

You’d be a fool to buy your beer anywhere else.

Fordhams FREE Prize Draw

We’ve joined with Fordhams to bring you a FREE prize draw to celebrate Mardi Gras, American-style on Tuesday 21st February 2012.

(Over here we call it Pancake Day, so feel free to try Fordhams out in this recipe for beer pancakes if you like!)

It’s simple to enter: just place an order (which must include any of Fordhams American Craft either as singles or part of a mixed case) on www.alesbymail.com by Sunday 19th February, and you will be entered into a draw to win a 12 pack containing 4 each of Fordhams Copperhead, Helles and Tavern, absolutely free. The lucky winner will receive their prize on Tuesday 21st to celebrate with – or to make pancakes with, of course!

Valentines Day is fast approaching, and we’re not a site who subscribes to that “ladies buy your man some beer” valentines rubbish. We know beer is for everyone and what better way to do that than to make a case of beer for sharing?

And as it’s Valentine’s day, we’ve even thrown in some chocolate (beers).

This special Valentine’s pack contains two bottles of each of these specially selected beers

• Fordhams Helles Lager
• Chocolate Marble
• Freedom 4 lager
• Northcote El Salvador Chocolate IPA
• Pink Panther
• Daas Amber Belgian organic beer

The elves will pack each case with a little extra love and will include confetti. Will also include a personalised card, let us know what message you would like when you order.

Buy your case here now!

Just before Christmas, we asked for nominations of people deserving of some extra Christmas cheer this year.

Every nomination was worthwhile, with people working hard for charity, or helping out those in need at home, through to simply being a good friend during the year, and it made the selection of just one winner really difficult. But choose we must, and our eventual winner was Kathy Parsons.

Kathy chose to nominate her son and daughter-in-law, Mark & Helen. Helen’s operation meant that 2011 hadn’t been a great year for them both, and that Helen’s endometriosis may mean some trying times ahead.

We organised a surprise package of ale to be delivered to Mark & Helen just in time for Christmas, and Kathy emailed to let us know “You can imagine the shock, surprise and delight!”, so it was a gift very well received!

We’ve all sorts of other competitions lined up for 2012, so stay tuned, it could still be you!

We’d just like to take this opportunity to wish all of our customers, and suppliers a very merry christmas. We’ve had a fantastic 2011 and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without all of you.

The warehouse will be shut until 9th January while our elves take a well deserved rest.

Look out for some special offers in January when we reopen, we’ll have some post-christmas bargains to share!

We look forward to supplying you with more excellent beer throughout 2012 and beyond.

Please note the last order dates for any Christmas orders

Please get ordering as early as possible so that your Christmas deliveries arrive in plenty of time. We don’t want to have any disappointed customers because we ran out of some items. Also stay one step ahead of any unexpected dump of snow….

Sausages:
The last day for ordering sausages for dispatch to reach you before Christmas is Monday 19th December.
Sausage orders placed between 19th December & 8th January will be dispatched for delivery on 12th January when production recommences.

Other items:
The last day for all other orders to reach you by Christmas is Wednesday 21st December.

Christmas Closure
Please note that our offices will be closed from 24th December reopening on 9th January 2012.

As 2011 will soon be drawing to a close, Ales By Mail would like to take this opportunity to recognise that a lot of people have had a hard year – be it from unemployment, financial problems, sickness and so on.

Despite this however, the people of the UK shine through, volunteering for charities, working hard to support their families well, or maybe just being there for a friend in need.

We’d like to hear your stories about people who’ve done something this year that deserves a special treat (it will be ale, naturally, so no under 18′s please!)

To enter, please fill in the form here, with details of your nominee.

You can nominate anyone you like (except yourself!), a friend, relative, co-worker, or anyone you think deserves a surprise, and would appreciate real ale of course!

If your nominee is chosen, we’ll get in touch with you for delivery details of your nominee, and a surprise package will make its way direct to them in time for Christmas!

Remember – to enter : please fill in the form here

We’re pleased to be able to stock the great Commando Hoofing, lager and cider produced by Cotleigh Brewery.

Originally brewed to support the Royal Marines 40 Commando base in Taunton and to celebrate the units return from deployment in Afghanistan, this beer is now enjoying widespread acclaim.

A number of Royal Marines from Termoli Troop 40 Commando RM, tasted the beer and commented “It’s a great beer that has an explosion of flavours from hops to fresh fruit, far safer and far more palatable than ones we are used to. Hoofing is a Royal Marine slang term used to describe most things fantastic i.e Hoofing dancer. This beer is certainly that … Hoofing!”

Cotleigh are proud to support the Royal Marines Family and as such 5p from every pint sold goes to the charity Go Commando (Charity Number 1139194). Each bottle has the Braille message “Cotleigh Brewery Go Commando Hoofing” on back label in recognition of Marines suffering blindness from blast injuries.

The beer is described as “An explosion of flavours originating from cascade and Styrian hops. A refreshing pale golden beer with a fruit filled finish.”

Buy the Beer here, and the cider here.

If you are a fan of the special festive beers that get released at this time of year, then you’ll be interested to know that we have taken delivery of some special festive beers from Hoggleys and Nobby’s Brewery.

From the Hoggleys brewery we have Yuletide Ale (7.2% abv) and Frosty Ferret (4.3% abv)

From Nobby’s brewery we have Plum Porter (4.4% ABV) “a dark brown porter with bitterness from hops and plums, Real fruit natural haze.” and Santas Secret (4.7% ABV) “a dark ale with hints of Christmas pudding spice and warming seasonal cheer”.

All these beers are available as pick and mix so create your own festive mixed case, or add a few bottles to an existing order.

Ales by Mail are here to get you the gifts you really want.

Simply cut out the adverts for the gifts you like and leave them strategically around the house. Including gift packs from Thornbridge, Freedom, Windsor and Eton and Meantime breweries. All far better than a pair of socks.

Head to : bit.ly/abmxmas to download the flyer

We also have a wide range of glassware and gifts which you can find on the Ales by Mail store.

And if those aren’t enough – you can buy a range of Ales by Mail TShirts and merchandise from our CafePress store.

Remember – if you end up with socks for xmas, you only have yourself to blame!