‘Tis (almost) the season to get into the Christmas spirit and there is no better way to enjoy the lead-up to the big day than with an advent calendar.
There’s a huge range of advent calendars out there that go far beyond the chocolate ones many of us enjoyed in years gone by.
Some of the grown-up versions allow you to sip your way to Christmas Day with some of the best beers, wines, and spirits.
From craft beer calendars filled with local brews to whisky calendars topped up with international tipples, there’s something to suit every taste – just remember to enjoy responsibly this festive season, as always.
SHOP BY CATEGORY:
BEST WINE ADVENT CALENDARS
The Australian Wine Advent Calendar, The Australian Wine Club, $140
This decidedly beautiful advent calendar is curated by the team of vino aficionados at The Australian Wine, so you know it’s going to be top notch. Open 24 doors on this calendar to reveal 23 piccolo-sized wines (and one 375ml bottle of prosecco) from around the world. From juicy Aussie red, white and rosé favourites, to best-selling French, Italian and Portuguese reds as well as whites from South Africa and France and a beautiful Italian prosecco, it’s like a round the world trip in wine form.
Delivery starts at just $9.99, and we’d recommend you order yours soon to guarantee delivery by December.
BEST SPIRITS ADVENT CALENDARS
Johnnie Walker 12 Days of Discovery Whisky Advent Calendar, eBay, $99.26
For the whisky lover in your life, this bundle is essential. Containing 12 50ml drams of Johnnie Walker’s famous whisky, it’s a classy take on the classic advent calendar.
Australia Gin Advent Calendar (2022 edition), hardtofind, $279
Packaged in a luxurious gift box, this advent calendar features 25 mini bottles of quality gin from a variety of distillers. Each day you’ll experience a new taste with the calendar featuring a range of styles including classic dry, navy strength, barrel-aged and exotic flavoured gins to showcase the full gamut of gin styles available. Plus, access the online tasting notes so you can get serious about your journey.
BEST BEER ADVENT CALENDARS
BoozeBud Beer Advent Calendar, BoozeBud, $134.99 (down from $149.90)
Also available to pre-order, this beer advent calendar allows you to sample 25 of Australia’s best craft beers. Plus, it’s valued at over $180. There’s a wide mix of beer styles from IPAs to pale ales, and sours to stouts from breweries like Boatrocker, Deeds Brewing, Mountain Culture, Akasha Brewing and more.
Beer Advent Calendar, Beef Cartel, $169.99
This calendar features only beers from Australia and New Zealand so if supporting local is your thing then look no further. Canned just days before the Advent Calendars are packed, these beers will be as fresh as they come when they’re delivered straight to your door. It features 25 different beers with a wide variety of styles including triple Hazy IPA, Barrel Aged Imperial Stout, Double West Coast IPA, Scotch Ale and more.
BEST DISPLAY ALCOHOL ADVENT CALENDAR
Personalised Advent Calendar for Drinks, Etsy, $113.83
So you’ve got the alcohol but where do you put it? This is such a fun way to organise your drinks for the festive season. It can hold 330ml beer bottles as well as small bottles of wine, prosecco or champagne and small spirit bottles (187-200ml). It also works just as well with non-alcoholic bottles too.
WHAT IS AN ADVENT CALENDAR?
An advent calendar is a festive gift that allows you to count down either 12 or 24 days until Christmas by opening small gifts each day.
Advent itself is a time in the Christian calendar in the lead-up to Christmas. The advent seasons starts four weeks before Christmas, normally around the first of December. However, despite their religious past nowadays advent calendars are much more secular.
Advent calendars can be traced back to the 19th century, when families would mark off each day in December on calendar in anticipation of Christmas Day. The first printed advent calendars like those we’re used to today came about in the early 1900s, created by a German man named Gerhard Lang.
WHEN SHOULD I BUY ADVENT CALENDARS?
You might think you don’t need to buy an advent calendar until the beginning of December, but be warned – a lot of these limited edition calendars sell out well before November. Combined with Christmas-related shipping delays, we’d recommend you get on top of your advent calendar gifting ASAP to avoid missing out.
More Coverage
Looking to get into the festive spirit? Check out the best beauty advent calendars, the best chocolate advent calendars, the best food advent calendars, the best LEGO advent calendars, and all the other advent calendars you can buy for Christmas.
When you’re doing your Christmas shopping don’t forget to visit news.com.au Coupons before you check out, to find great deals on brands from Myer to THE ICONIC.
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Originally published as Best wine, beer and spirits advent calendars for Christmas 2023
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