We love everything about the festive season here at Yours, and Advent calendars are without doubt the best way to look forward to Christmas. From chocolate Advent calendars for children, to enjoying more sophisticated offerings as adults - such as the best beauty Advent calendars - there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Advent calendars have come long way from the picture versions we had in childhood. Nowadays it seems pretty much anything can be used to countdown to Christmas, from stationery Advent calendars to Advent calendars for pets... and why not! But if jam, chocolate or even cheese isn't your thing, why not consider one of the best alcohol Advent calendars?
Best alcohol Advent calendars
Best cocktail Advent calendar
Best beer Advent calendar
Whether you like beer, wine, gin or whisky, the chances are there's an Advent calendar out there to whet your appetite. You might like to drink your Advent offering on the same day, or you might like to build a collection to enjoy at a later date. Either way, we've got you covered with a great selection that we've tested.
Best alcohol Advent calendars
This mixed wine Advent calendar from Virgin Wines makes a great gift and is undeniably my favourite Advent calendar of all the ones I've tested. Also available as red or white, the mixed one we tested contains 24 mini bottles of wine, plus one full sized.
The wine Advent calendar was well packaged in a strong cardboard box, which is just as well as it's heavy! The calendar itself is also strong card, and stands well. I loved the design this year. The snowy village Christmas scene feels really festive and the illustration is beautiful.
I was expecting just 24 mini bottles of wine, so I was delighted to find a full-sized bottle for Christmas Day, as well as a mini bottle of Prosecco for Christmas Eve! I felt that both of these were a really nice touch. This year, Virgin Wines are celebrating 25 years so the full size bottle is a special anniversary one as well.
I feel this calendar would make a really lovely gift for someone who loves exploring different wines. The variety is huge - from Merlot's to Pinot Grigio's and everything in between. There were some I knew but many I didn't, and it's been really interesting and enjoyable to try wines from regions I've never heard of.
Let's talk price. At £99, it isn't cheap, but when you consider what you get (24 mini bottles and one full size), plus the quality of the wines included, I think it's fair. I tested this same calendar last year and grew so much more knowledgable about wine, so I do think it's worth the investment.
If you go on the website you can see all the wines included, and learn more about them such as where they're from and when the wine will be at its best. The calendar is available from November, but you can go online and reserve one for a £10 deposit in the meantime.
| What's included | 25 wines including: Black Pig Shiraz, Prosecco, Black Pig Merlot, Reserve Carmenere, Pinot Grigio, Josè Rose, Colombard Gros Manseng, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Torbillon Malbec, Vitalita Sangiovese, white zinfandel, Grenache blanc, Verdeo sauvignon, L'Artisan grenache, cabernet sauvignon, blanca alvarinho, sabio carignan, sauvignon blanc, vitalita famoso, shiraz, pino grigio, merlot |
The Fever-Tree Ultimate Spirit & Mixer Advent Calendar is the ultimate treat. The packaging is so sophisticated, and each spirit and mixer is securely housed in its own box. With 24 doors, you get a spirit one day and its corresponding Fever-Tree mixer the next, giving you 12 complete drinks in total.
Some of my favourites include the raspberry mojito, which I added some fresh mint and ice to, and the gin and lemonade. If you prefer, you can also have fun mixing and matching different spirits and mixers. It’s such a fun and interactive way to discover new flavour combinations and try something different every day!
| Whats included | Salcombe Gin and Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Indian Tonic Water, Edinburgh Gin and Mediterranean Tonic and Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Mediterranean Tonic Water, Caorunn Gin and Rhubarb and Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Rhubarb & Raspberry Tonic Water, Papa Salt Gin and Blood Orange Soda and Fever-Tree Italian Blood Orange Soda, Warner's Gin and Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Lemonade, Connie Glaze Vodka and Fever-Tree Mexican Lime Soda, Masons Vodka and Ginger Beer, Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Ginger Beer, Mermaid Spiced Rum and Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Madagascan Cola, Benriach Whisky and Fever-Tree Refreshingly Light Premium Ginger Ale, Vivir Tequila and Fever-Tree Pink Grapefruit Soda, Duppy White Rum and Fever-Tree Raspberry Mojito Mixer |
If gin is your go-to drink, you'll find plenty of new and exciting flavours to try from the world's very best craft gin distilleries.
Containing 24, 50ml bottles of gin (double measures) including 7 mystery gins, this Craft Gin Advent Calendar is a treat for cocktail drinkers - just add your favourite mixer or tonic and you're good to go (the company have even created The Perfect Advent Pairings Bundle to compliment the drinks)!
Each bottle contains double-measures, and I love that there are 7 mystery gins to discover and plenty of festive flavours including Yuletide gin. Plus, all of the gins are from small, independent distilleries.
| What's included: | Tarquin's Christmas Cake Gin, Shetland Reel Wild Fire Gin, Forged Spirits Winter Gin, Four Feathers Sloe Gin, Brindle Distillery Cuckoo Cask Aged Spiced Gin, Salcombe Start Point The Azores Edition, Warner's Distillery Spiced Blackberry Gin, Distillery 3 Lacs Lemon Sunflower Gin, Roundwood Fireside Gin, Gin Provincia Andes Dry Gin, Manchester Under The Tree Gin, Ludlow Distillery Ludlow No. 3 Spiced Gin, North Uist Distillery Downpour Scottish Dry Gin, Wabi Sabi Gin Sakura Gin, Gin 1689 Dutch Pink Gin, Café del Mar Spirits Café del Mar Gin, Whatahoot Signature Dry Gin, York Gin Spiced Apple Gin, Batch Distillery Orange and Cranberry Gin, Sibling Distillery Festive Dry Gin and 5 mystery gins |
Best beer Advent calendar
Best of British beerwww.bestofbritishbeer.co.uk
This 24-door Advent calendar is perfect for any craft beer lovers. All beers come from a selection of independent British breweries and feature both classic lagers and some with a more modern twist.
The British Beer Advent contains 24 different beers, and includes a mix of cans both large and small, and some 500ml bottles as well.
I don't know too much about beer (other than I like it), but my Dad really loves trying different craft beers, and there's such a wide selection that this calendar makes the perfect gift for him.
Dad was really impressed by the range, and the fact that it's all from independent breweries means we can then support these companies in the future by buying the products we loved best.
| What's included: | Beers from the following British breweries: Williams Bros, Alloa<br>Bay's Brewery, Devon, Thornbridge, Derbyshire, Portobello, London, Bradfield Brewery, South Yorkshire, Harviestoun, Scotland, Freedom, Staffordshire, Beartown Brewery, Cheshire, Harbour Brewing, Devon<br>Titanic Brewery, Staffordshire, Redchurch Brewery, Essex, Saltaire, Yorkshire, Spey Valley, Scotland, Gower Brewery, South Wales, Windsor & Eton, London |
The perfect Christmas gift for a whisky connoisseur, this whisky Advent calendar from Drinks by the Dram contains 25 wax sealed miniatures.
Reviewed by senior writer Becky Fuller: The whisky Advent calendar came in a robust box and wrapped in plenty of bubble wrap, ensuring it was in perfect condition. The box itself is sturdy, and stands well. It's a lovely burgundy colour. There are 25 doors, all with a whisky miniature behind each.
I haven't sampled all of them yet - I wouldn't be writing this if I had! But I've really enjoyed the distinct, smooth taste from the different sherry cask whiskies. I loved the Oak and Apple Wood aged whisky, while my partner enjoyed the Talker 10 year old the best.
All the whiskies included are real quality - reflected in the price point - but well worth it if whisky is your thing.
| What's included: | 25 wax-sealed sherry cask whisky miniatures, including: Balblair 15 Year Old 3cl Sample, Black Bottle 3cl Sample, Black Bottle Captain's Cask - Alchemy Series 3cl Sample, Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year Old 3cl Sample, Caol Ila 12 Year Old 3cl Sample, Fielden Rye Whisky 3cl Sample, Glen Grant 18 Year Old Rare Edition 3cl Sample, Glen Scotia Double Cask 3cl Sample, Highland Park 18 Year Old - Viking Pride 3cl Sample, Lagavulin 8 Year Old 3cl Sample, Loch Lomond 12 Year Old 3cl Sample, Lochlea Our Barley 3cl Sample, Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky 3cl Sample, Old Pulteney 15 Year Old 3cl Sample, Paul John Bold 3cl Sample, Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength - Batch B1/23 3cl Sample, Royal Lochnagar 12 Year Old 3cl Sample, Talisker 10 Year Old 3cl Sample, Talisker Port Ruighe 3cl Sample, Talisker Storm 3cl Sample, The Antiquary 21 Year Old - Port Casks 3cl Sample, The Sexton Single Malt 3cl Sample, Whisky Works King of Trees 10 Year Old 3cl Sample, Whisky Works Quartermaster 11 Year Old 3cl Sample, Widow Jane Rye Mash - Oak &amp; Apple Wood Aged (Batch 59) 3cl Sample. |
Alcohol Advent calendar FAQ's
Are alcohol Advent calendars expensive?
Alcohol Advent calendars aren't cheap, because of the value of their contents. But that said, the ones we've tested above do offer great value for money. The Virgin Wines calendar, for example, retails at £99.99 but if you were to buy 24 mini bottles of wine plus a full size bottle individually, it would add up to far more.
How to make an alcohol Advent calendar?
Making your own alcohol Advent calendar is a great option if you would like a wider variety of drinks, or you want to give a festive gift to someone you know likes certain spirits, wines or even brands of alcohol. You can invest in multiple different miniatures, or individual beers, then either wrap these and number them, or buy or make an Advent calendar to hold them all. Hobbycraft have a great range of DIY Advent calendars to choose from.