Of course nothing compares to your favorite LHSS (Local Homebrew Supply Shop) – it’s great to support the local economy; most such shops have knowledgeable and helpful staff members; many offer homebrewing classes or clubs where you can meet fellow brewers (and best of all try their beer) and share knowledge; and of course, there’s the benefit of instant gratification, no shipping required.

Unfortunately, not every homebrewer has access to such a shop. And even those who do, will still like to order from a homebrewing web store from time-to-time. Maybe it’s to get a certain kit or grain that they can’t find locally, or maybe you will find a deal too good to pass up. While there are dozens of places online to order homebrewing kits, ingredients and tools, a few such sites in particular seem to rise above the rest.

The first is NorthernBrewer.com. In addition to a very active, knowledgeable forum of brewers, Northern Brewer offers some of the best beer, wine & mead kits on the market. They have recipe kits to meet every level of brewer, from the most basic American Wheat Beer extract kit, to the most complicated, aging-appropriate all-grain Belgian Quad recipe. Northern Brewer also stocks all the equipment you would ever need, be it for cleaning & sanitization, fermentation, bottling or kegging, and lose ingredients (also available in bulk) for any recipe you can imagine, including flavorings like fruit, honey and spices.

The second online shop recommendation is AustinHomebrew.com. If you are looking for a beyond impressive selection of kits – extract, partial-mash or all-grain – recipes and styles, the selection at Austin Homebrew is unmatched. Where else will you find something like their latest spring seasonal kit, Honey Hibiscus Wit? And best of all, Austin keeps the shipping & handling charge of your order to a modest $7.99, regardless of what or how much you order. While it doesn’t quite beat a LHSS, that’s still pretty darn good (and if you have a few fellow brewing friends, place an order of a few different kits together to cut down on the shipping cost per person even further).

The third and final recommendation is meant more for the seasoned homebrewer who is ready to start kegging their beers, building a home bar or taking their homebrew on the road to local festivals and competitions. And that would be KegWorks.com. KegWorks shouldn’t be your go-to for homebrewing ingredients and or kits, but their selection of kegging and home bar equipment is unmatched, their prices are competitive and their customer service is awesome. As your hobby expands, don’t overlook KegWorks.com.

If you aren’t lucky enough to be able to regularly get to a local homebrew supply shop to feed your addiction, with a little digging, you will certainly be able to find some great bargains and interesting recipes and kits no more than a mouse click away.

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