What could be better than getting a small piece of chocolate every day? Getting a bottle of wine every day
Opening presents on Christmas Day is great, but you know what's even better? Getting to open presents for the 24 days leading up to it. Thanks to whoever invented the advent calendar, you can milk the festive season for all it's worth.
Most advent calendars are filled with chocolates or toys, but for those who like to turn their celebrations up a notch we've rounded up these boozy advent calendars. Pre-order one now so that you can taste top-notch beers, wines, ciders and spirits throughout December. And after the year we've had, let's face it: it might be time for a drink, or 24.
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What's in it: 12 half-bottles of wine
Cost: $199
After selling out its first advent calendar in 2020, Heathcote Women in Wine is back with a new calendar filled with premium wines. Inside, you'll find 12 half-bottles from six of the region's most celebrated producers including Sanguine Estate, Silver Spoon Estate and Munari Wines. While the exact contents will remain a surprise, you can expect four whites, two rosés and six Mediterranean and traditional reds.
What's in it: 12 bottles of wine
Cost: $299
This wine advent calendar by family-owned boutique winery Boat O'Craigo features 12 bottles from its core range. The pack has a little bit of everything, including a pinot noir, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon and shiraz. This calendar ensures you can have a couple of glasses of wine each day during the festive season.
What's in it: 25 alcohol-free beverages or beers
Cost: $100
Give yourself the gift of a hangover-free Christmas with these advent calendars by Craftzero that feature a range of alcohol-free beers or ready-to-drink beverages. The RTD box is filled with an assortment of delicious gin and tonics, spritzes and seltzers while the beer calendar features pale ales, lagers and stouts.
What's in it: 12 mini bottles of whisky
Cost: $154
Did you know that because whisky takes a while to distil, many whisky distilleries produce gin in the meantime? Gintronica has put together a few whisky advent calendars for those who prefer a dram over a botanical spirit. The calendars come with 12 mini bottles of whisky, or you can get the 24-day calendar for $349.
What's in it: 12 mini bottles of Australian gin
How much: $129
This one's for those who want to stay local. Gintonica fills its Art Deco-style calendar with 12 50ml bottles of Australian craft gin elegantly packaged with gorgeous distillery labels. Look forward to picks like the savoury allsorts gin by Seppeltsfield Road Distillers or a plum gin by West Winds Gin. If you aren't satisfied with just having a gin every other day of December, you can also shop boxes of 24 mini bottles of gin for $199 to $279.
What's in it: 24 premium single servings of whisky
Cost: $255
Count down the days to Christmas with some firewater in hand with this whisky-filled advent calendar. The box includes releases from Scotland, Ireland, England, Europe, North America and Japan. The exact contents will remain a secret, but to get you salivating you can look forward to two mystery Islay drams, a 21-year-old Japanese whisky and some offerings from Ireland's oldest distillery.
What's in it: 12 bottles of wine
Cost: $159.99
For brands that you would well and truly know and love, don't look past Treasury Wine Estates' very first advent calendar, 12 Wines of Christmas. This calendar comes with the whole kit and caboodle featuring the likes of Penfolds, Wolf Blass and Squealing Pig. Each bottle is 375ml and you'll get the chance to sample anything from red varietals like pinot gris or shiraz or white varietals like chardonnay.
What's in it: 24 cans or bottles of IPAs or craft beers
How much: $145-$190
The Beer Drop specialises in gift packs and subscription boxes filled with delicious independent beers made in Australia. If you have a craft beer lover in your life (or you are one yourself), pre-order one of these cases filled with drops from big, small and new breweries.
What's in it: 25 beers from around Australia
How much: $140
Most of the advent calendars on this list only include 24 drinks for you to open up leading up to Christmas, but this calendar includes a beer for you to enjoy on Christmas day. The box is designed to fit in your fridge so you can ensure that your tinnie is cold and ready to drink after opening.
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.
What's in it: 12 full-size bottles of wine
How much: $295-$795
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 $795. 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.
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.
What's in it: 24 mini bottles of gin
How much: $319, including delivery
The gin box contains 24 30ml bottles of gin from around the world as well as 24 150ml cans of tonic. The gins will be a mix of flavoured, dry, barrel-aged, navy-strength and more, and you'll receive a mix of aromatic, elderflower, Indian and Mediterranean tonics.
What's in it: 24 mini bottles of whisky
How much: $279
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.
What's in it: 12 larger but still mini bottles of super-premium whisky
How much: $429
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 25 years. This one's for the true firewater connoisseur.
What's in it: 24 mini bottles of several types of spirits
How much: $259
If you're not keen on a box full of just gin or just whisky, give yourself the gift of variety with this box of mixed spirits. On top of gins and whiskies, you'll receive tasters of tequila, rum, vodka, pisco, mezcal, shochu and more from countries like South Africa, Mexico, Peru, Jamaica, and Japan.
What's in it: 25 full-sized ciders
How much: $140
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), wine ($140) and beer ($130) advent calendars.
