It’s that time of year again when you need to get your order in for a craft beer advent calendar. Some are sold out already but don’t worry because there are plenty still to choose from.
This is the third year I’ve done a round-up for beer advent calendars and they’re more prolific and popular than ever. It seems you can get one for almost any interest now, including all types of booze.
While there are countless high street names trying to get in on the game, charging in excess of £100 for a fancy box containing beers like Peroni and Corona. You won’t find anything like that here.
St. Austell is one that’s missing compared to last year but see below for the pick of the bunch for all you craft beer nuts out there. If Hop Burns & Black make some more than I’ll attempt to add it in.
Honest Brew
Price: £69.90/£139.90 (inc delivery)
Honest Brew is consistently one of the best craft beer advent calendars around and this year looks no different.
In fact, the options look better than ever with a new design for starters – artistically and ergonomically. The firm has worked with 24 different breweries to provide 15 styles from 12 countries. This includes for the first time in an advent calendar, exclusives and special collaborations.
If you want to treat yourself, or someone else, you can opt for the Ultimate version for ‘an Untappd-topping lineup of Individual beers valued over £150’. Check the site for brewery and style spoilers.
Hoptimism
Price: £125 (inc delivery)
Eagle-eyed readers will notice that the Hoptimism calendar is a whopping £50 more expensive than last year. The firm said “we felt due to the price point last year we had to make compromises and we feel we can do a lot better!”
So this year’s will be much better, with specially selected beers (no supermarket brews is a promise). Each beer will be individually wrapped and Hoptimism will point out which ones need to go in the fridge – avoiding spoilers and degrading anything on the hoppier side.
Once again, higher ABV beer like imperial stouts will be planned for the weekend which is a great idea.
BeerBods
Price: £40 (inc delivery)
Ok, it’s not an advent calendar as such but for some the thought of having 24 beers on consecutive days is actually a bit much – and probably too expensive anyway.
BeerBods offers something a bit different with a 12 beer of Christmas box. These will be drunk on 13th December up to Christmas Eve with, if you’re not aware, a social element to chat about each beer online via the #12BeerBodsofXmas hashtag so you won’t be drinking alone.
There are no hints as to what the box contains style or breweries wise, but the guys at BeerBods are trustworthy curators.
Beavertown
Price: £65 + £8 shipping
If you’d rather have just one brewery’s beer in a calendar then that’s possible with Beavertown’s offering.
Just like last year this includes 24 beers (assuming all 330ml cans) which will consist of core range as well as special release brews. There’s no warning about repeats like 2017’s but this could well be the case again.
As well as beer, the Tottenham brewery promises ‘offers and surprises’.
To Ølekalender
Price: 685 DKK (Around £82 + delivery)
Surprisingly, To Øl’s advent calendar is cheaper than last year (down from 900 DKK) but shouldn’t be any worse off in terms of quality.
There’s little information about the box, but you’ll get 24 beers with an ‘eclectic’ mixture of styles and ABVs. That it really, I’m sure you’ll be happy if you’re a To Øl fan.
Ghost Whale
Price: £95 + £7.99 delivery
I didn’t spot this one last year and it’s a shame because it included Goose Islands infamous Bourbon County Stout (normally sold in the UK for around £20), along with the likes of To Øl, Lervig and Modern Times.
It’s one of the only one one that looks to have overtly Christmassy beers, based on Christmas Shake and California Blizzard from last year anyway. There will be 24 beers with a range of styles and strengths, into double digits.
This sold out but GW has made another batch with ‘different equally great contents’
Adnams
Price: £54.99 (inc delivery)
St.Austell might not being doing a calendar this year but you can rely on Adnams if you want something more on the real ale side of things.
As previously, there are 24 beers inside that will be a mix of bottles and cans. Not every beer is different with Adnams stating you’ll get 15 different beers, so a number of repeats will make up the rest of the box.
Imperial Beer Club
Price: £159 (inc delivery)
After a spell at Ales by Mail, the Imperial Beer Club is back in the hands of its original owner. This is first advent celendar from the subcription service and looks like a belter if you ask me.
Specialising in higher abv beers, as the name suggests, there will be no session IPAs or the like here (not really want I want in a calendar). 24 brews from the likes of De Molen, Evil Twin and Mikkeller will range between 7- and 13%. None of which have featured before and they’ll be individually wrapped and numbered by hand.
Make sure you order before 7th Nov and get in quick as there are only 24 available! Non-members will pay an extra £20.
Flavourly
Price: £49.90 pre-order inc delivery
At under £50 it’s understandable that Flavourly is claiming to be the best value calendar around – that’s just over £2 per beer without factoring delivery costs.
This is a can only box and will contain no less than 15 exclusives. Breweries will include White Hag, Fourpure, Bad Co and Tiny Rebel. Bear in mind that some of those exclusive beers may well be the collaboration brews the retailer has done with Tiny Rebel.
Note: the image below is from last year.
Let me know what you think of this year’s selection of beer advent calendars in the comments below and on Twitter.
Read next:
- Stone Brewing Berlin: Hidden Gem
- The craft beer breweries to watch in 2018 and beyond
- Lost & Grounded Brewery Spotlight: Hippos can fly
Alcohol by Volume 