The best boozy advent calendars in Australia
What could be better than getting a small piece of chocolate every day? Getting a bottle of wine every day
We are big fans of advent calendars. Why limit yourself to gifts on Christmas Day when you can have gifts every day for 24 days?
And although small chocolates or toys are pretty good gifts to receive every day, we think we can do one better. These advent calendars are filled with wine, beer, gin or whisky. That seems like an even more festive way to count down to Christmas. And after the year we've just had, let's face it, it might be time for a drink, or 24.
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De Bortoli
What's in it: 24 mini bottles of wine
How much: $139, including delivery
Yarra Valley winery De Bortoli has filled an advent calendar with all sorts of wine for the festive season. The box has 12 different varieties of red, rose, sparkling and white. There are 14 187ml piccolos and ten 200ml piccolos, and they include De Bortoli favourites like prosecco, chardonnay and rose.
Gin Loot
What's in it: 24 mini bottles of gin
How much: $249, including delivery
The box contains 24 30ml bottles of gin from all over the world, including from Australia, New Zealand, Israel, France and Sweden. It includes all kinds of gins, from London dry styles to sweet dessert gins and gins flavoured with everything from citrus to smoked hemp. It even includes one of our absolute favourites from Tasmania.
Purvis Beer
What's in it: 24 full-size beers
How much: $135
Richmond craft beer paradise Purvis Beer promises "no stocking fillers" with this pack of 24 craft beers. Many of them are Victorian beers, with a focus on helping out those breweries doing it tough from the double whammy of the bushfires and you-know-what. There are also beers from around the world, including the US, Germany, Belgium and New Zealand. You can pick it up for free in the Richmond store or have it shipped anywhere in Victoria for $10 and anywhere in Australia for $15.
Bridge Road Brewers
What's in it: 25 cans of beer
How much: $130
Beechworth's craft brewing legends release a very special advent calendar every year, and every year it sells out. It's a retrospective of the year that was for Bridge Road, and the exact mix is being kept tightly under wraps. The team have teased that it just might include the B52 Bomber, a 750ml, 10 per cent ABV black IPA, which 'pours like liquid dark chocolate'. It will definitely include a Christmassy version of the Unicorn vanilla ice cream beer, which is one of the most moreish beers we've ever had.
Whisky Loot
What's in it: 24 mini bottles of whisky
How much: $299
Give yourself (or a whisky-loving friend) the gift of 24 30ml bottles of whisky from around the world. All kinds of styles are represented, from peaty single malt Scotch to smooth, sweet American bourbon. It will definitely make the festive season more festive.
Whisky Loot Collector's Edition
What's in it: 12 larger but still mini bottles of super-premium whisky
How much: $439
The bad news: There are only 12 bottles in this advent calendar, not 24. The good news: They are 60ml apiece, rather than the 30ml of the normal box. The better news: They are premium whiskies from all over the world, including some that have been aged for up to 22 years. This one's for the true firewater connoisseur.
Good Pair Days
What's in it: 12 full-size bottles of wine
How much: $295-$465
It's a choose your own drinking adventure at Good Pair Days, with numerous 12-bottle advent calendars available, at price points between $295 and $465. You can choose between an all-red calendar, a mixed pack or a 'chillable' calendar of whites, roses and sparkling (we're guessing; they're pretty tight-lipped about the exact contents). Every pack includes 12 full-sized bottles of wine – whether that'll do you for 12 days or 24 is really up to you.
Gintonica Gin
What's in it: 24 mini bottles of gin
How much: $279
This one's for those who want to stay local. Gintonica fills its Art Deco-style calendar with 24 50ml bottles of Australian craft gin. There are no repeats, so you'll get a new and delicious bottle of something to try every day of December. They are not giving anything away yet about what might be included, but there are 24 kinds of gin, so what else do you need to know?
Copper and Oak
What's in it: 25 full-sized ciders
How much: $130
Perth-based booze merchants Copper and Oak are offering a cider advent calendar, filled with Australian and international drops for apple lovers. We don't know exactly what's in the box, but we're hoping for interesting fruit ciders and delicious drinks from around the world. The deadline to order it in the eastern states is November 12 (you can order it after that time, but it might not arrive by December 1). Copper and Oak also offers whisky ($350), gin ($250) and beer ($130) advent calendars.
Purvis Cellars
What's in it: 12 full-sized bottles of wine
How much: $200
Purvis also runs a wine shop in Surrey Hills, and the wine version is also doing an advent calendar. It includes 12 full-sized bottles of wine. The contents are a mystery, but the instructions are explicit: 12 excuses to open a bottle each night in the lead-up to Christmas. You can pick up from Surrey Hills or get it delivered in Victoria for $10 or anywhere in Australia for $15.
Man Flower Co
What's in it: 24 full-sized beers
How much: $189
This box includes 24 full-sized cans of Australian craft beer, each from an independent brewery. Man Flower Co recommends popping the box into the fridge each morning so you'll have a cold surprise brew come afternoon, but we think you should keep it in the fridge all the time and enjoy your beer anytime you like.
Or you could get a delivery from one of these places
Alcohol delivery services in Melbourne
Look, we all have those days when even a trip to the shops or the bottle-o is just that little bit too much to handle. Which is why we're thanking the entrepreneurial types who came up with the idea of delivering booze straight to our doorstep.