Best beer Advent calendars 2024 UK – from ‘proper’ ales to modern craft beers, we tasted some of this year’s line-up
THIRSTY? Your festive season is about to be hoppier than ever, with our roundup of the best beer advent calendars available to shop now.
Whether you’re a craft beer enthusiast, lager lover or ale aficionado, these calendars are guaranteed to get you in the Christmas spirit in the most refreshing of ways.
Packed with top-tier pints and hidden gems, these beer calendars promise a month of festive sips that’ll make every day feel like a celebration.
We've put some to the test ourselves – you know, for research purposes purely – and have handpicked some additional options that you'll definitely want to sample yourself.
So you can say goodbye to boring chocolate calendars and hello to a daily surprise of frothy goodness!
Dive in below and get ready to sip your way to Christmas – it’s the most wonderful time for a beer...
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Tried and tested
(AD) Beavertown Advent Calendar
Beavertown craft beer advent calendar 2024, £69 from Beavertown
Pros: Nicely designed, comes with a free beer glass, includes popular beers like Neck Oil, Gamma Ray and Bones Lager
Cons: Lots of duplicates, was difficult to get some beers out of the box
Rating: 3.5/5
With its tall design that folds out like a book, the Beavertown calendar was easily the best-looking beer Advent calendar we tested. While it’s too big to store in a cupboard, we didn’t mind having it out in the corner of the room.
It’s priced at £69, making it £14 more expensive than Brewdog’s Advent Calendar. However, Beavertown’s beers are slightly more premium than Brewdog's, so this fits with both breweries’ places in the market, and it certainly looks more swanky.
Our only big issue with the Beavertown Advent Calendar is that it contains several duplicates. We won’t ruin the surprise as Beavertown hasn’t listed the exact list of beers on its website, but it means if there’s one you don’t like — in our case, a smoked porter — you could end up with a few cans to get through.
However, the flip side of that is that you get multiple opportunities to indulge in your favourite Beavertown beers, including crowd-pleasers like Neck Oil and Gamma Ray.
Another minor issue is that some of the beers are really tightly packed into the calendar, to the point where it’s difficult to remove them, but with a bit of coaxing and elbow grease, it’s not too much of an issue.
Beer52 Advent Calendar
Beer52 Advent Calendar, £64.99 from Beer52
Pros: Contains beers from 24 different breweries, many beers are exclusive to Beer52, something for everyone, glass included, can get a free case of beer worth £27 if you’re a new customer
Cons: Not very festively designed
Rating: 5/5
We loved the Beer52 Advent Calendar; it’s priced fairly well (on the scale of Beer Advent Calendars, at least), it contains a huge variety of beer from 24 breweries across seven countries, and almost everything we tasted was delicious.
There’s 10 different styles of beer included, many of which weren’t present in the other Advents we tried: it was nice opening the second window to reveal a fruit gose with sour cherries, for example, and there’s even a nod to traditional British ale (from Moor, one of the country’s best breweries).
Of course, such variety means that you might taste one or two beers you don’t like, but to our surprise, we didn’t find that; the advantage of not being limited to a single brewery means that Beer52 has been able to curate a tasty and exciting selection.
As a bonus, Beer52 throws in a card featuring an offer for new customers; the opportunity to order a free case of eight beers with free delivery.
If we were to find one gripe, it would be that the calendar’s design isn’t especially festive, but it’s funky nonetheless.
Brewdog Advent Calendar
Brewdog Advent Calendar, £55 from Brewdog
Pros: Different beers every day, includes several festive specials, comes with beer glass
Cons: The box could be more stylish
Rating: 4/5
Brewdog is one of the only craft beer breweries we can think of that is established enough to offer 24 different beers in its Advent calendar.
Among the two dozen different beers, there should be something for everyone; as well as a few festive specials — including one named after the Christmas film Elf — there are lagers, IPAs, stouts, and almost every other type of craft beer you can think of.
There are some Brewdog signatures included too. The standouts for us were the nice fruity IPAs, including Clockwork Tangerine, Elvis Juice and Hazy Jane Guava.
Admittedly, some of them were a little much for our taste; an 8.4% Mango Passionfruit Milkshake IPA, for example, will push the limits of many beer drinkers’ palettes.
But this will certainly introduce you to some brews you haven’t tried before, and you never know — one of them might just become a new go-to.
Our only other complaint is that the design of the calendar probably isn’t winning many awards, but it does get bonus points for being fully recyclable.
Devon Hampers Devon Dozen
Devon Hampers Devon Dozen, £52.50 from Devon Hampers
Pros: Hyperlocal selection of ales from one of Britain’s best beermaking areas, great as a gift, provides an option for the oft-maligned proper ale drinker
Cons: Not strictly an Advent calendar, not cheap, only contains 12 beers
Rating: 4/5
While this isn’t strictly an Advent calendar, we thought we’d include it as an option for people who love quote-on-quote “proper” ale but tend to turn their noses up at modern craft beer.
Curated by Devon Hampers, this is a hyperlocal selection of beer from four of Devon’s best breweries: Bays Brewery, Dartmoor Brewery, Exeter Brewery and Otter.
The dozen beers selected please any die-hard cask ale drinker, with a selection that spans everything from pale ales to ambers and bitters.
Devon Hampers also allows you to include a personalised message, which is great if you choose to get the hamper as a gift.
Our only gripe is that, at £52.50, you wouldn’t spend much more if you bought 12 pints in a pub.
The best of the rest
Seven Bro7hers Craft Beer Advent Calendar
Seven Bro7hers Craft Beer Advent Calendar, £69.95
Are your tastebuds more on the adventurous side?
This craft Advent calendar is perfect for anyone looking to enjoy the festive season while picking up some new favourites.
Get ready for a surprise mix of a selection of 440ml and 330ml cans; swing open the door in the morning and leave it to chill, ready for you to come home to enjoy that Christmas cheer.
A word of warning though: this popular calendar sells out every year, so secure yours now to avoid disappointment.
Dimensions: N/A Number of items: 24 Type of Beer: Craft
Black Sheep Brewery Black Sheep Calendar
Black Sheep Calendar, £65 from Black Sheep Brewery
While plenty of breweries have been taken over by drinks giants (like Beavertown, above), North Yorkshire's Black Sheep Brewery has remained fiercely independent.
It's an ethos that can be traced back to the 90s, when black sheep of the family, Paul Theakston, left his family brewery after it was bought out.
If that's a backstory you can get behind, then make sure to check out Black Sheep's advent calendar, which is filled with award-winning beers plus some new limited-edition brews.
While it's the perfect gift for beer lovers, nobody can blame you if you decide to keep it for yourself, as 24 award-winning beers sound a little too good to give up and not try for yourself.
It's available in a red and black or green design, with a bottle or can of Black Sheep or York Brewery beer behind each of the 24 doors.
Dimensions: N/A Number of items: 24 Type of Beer: Mixed Black Sheep bottles
Star Wars Original Stormtrooper Beer Advent Calendar
Star Wars Original Stormtrooper Beer Advent Calendar, £49 from Menkind
Star Wars fan and also an avid beer lover?
We've found the best of both worlds with this stormtrooper beer calendar.
A unique Christmas calendar perfect for dads or movie fans, the contents are as interesting as the packaging.
From Galactic pale ale to Lightspeed Pilsner, there's a Star Wars-themed drink for everyone.
To sweeten the deal, you also get a pack of snacks to pair.
The only question you may have is, what to pour your galactic beers into?
Luckily, it comes with an iconic stormtrooper glass – plus beer mats to keep your tables stain-free.
Dimensions: N/A Number of products: 18 Type of Beer: Ale
MixPixie 12 Beers Of Christmas Advent Box
Mixpixie 12 Beers Of Christmas Advent Box, £55 £44 from Not On The High Street
We love it when beer and Advent calendars combine with an affordable price tag – and MixPixie has delivered just that, with the 12 Beers of Christmas advent.
This bundle features 12 varied pale ales from numerous brands, including Hobgoblin, Spitfire, Thirsty Ferret, Cellarhead, Pedigree, Firecatcher, Banks, Wainright, Cumberland and Bishop’s Finger.
Some may have tried and tested the pale ales from these labels, but others may not.
Either way, it's the perfect way to find a new tipple or discover new flavours you may not usually request at a bar.
The best part with this Advent calendar is you can personalise the festive countdown.
It's an extra special touch well worth doing, especially if you're buying it as a gift for someone else.
Shoppers are pleased with this purchase, praising the "good variety of beers."
Dimensions: 321 X 239 X 220mm Number of items: 12 Price: £55
Personalised Lager Beer Christmas Advent Calendar
Personalised Lager Beer Christmas Advent Calendar, £120 from Not on The High Street
If you're looking to get an Advent as a gift, you'll love the Personalised Lager Beer Calendar.
There's surely no better way to show someone you appreciate them than a calendar containing 24 hand-selected flavourful lagers from globally renowned brands.
Especially when you can include a touch of personalisation to show you care.
Simply add their name to the box (as long as it's 12 characters or under) with a cute Christmas message to wish them the best.
If you've got more to tell the recipient of the calendar, you also have 255 characters to send your best wishes for the Christmas season.
Dimensions: N/A Number of items: 24 Type of Beer: Mixed
John Lewis Beer & Snacks Advent Calendar
Beer & Snacks Advent Calendar, £80 from John Lewis
Beer is best accompanied by a few snacks – so the John Lewis Advent is a great choice for anyone looking for a little nibble to go with their festive bottle.
You have 24 days of mystery to discover; you'll be greeted with one of 14 330ml glass bottles ranging from Toast Craft Lagers to Twisted Golden Ales.
Meanwhile on the other days (when maybe you need a break from the festive drinking), you'll be delighted with the selection of nuts, crisps and pretzels.
They're some of the best snacks to accompany anything alcoholic, should you want to wait a few days and pair them together.
Dimensions: N/A Number of items: 24 Type of Beer: Larger and Ale mix
Dry Drinker's Enchanted Alcohol-Free Beer Advent Calendar
Dry Drinker's Enchanted Alchohol-Free Beer Advent Calendar, £67.95 from Dry Drinkers
There's no longer a need to miss out on the taste of a pint if you're going teetotal.
No matter your preferred beer style, there's something for everyone in this Dry Drinker's box.
From hoppy holiday treats to merry marvels, nobody has to feel left out.
'Great service from Dry Drinkers. Hubby has already sampled some of the beers because he couldn’t wait, and has loved trying different and new beers,' writes one happy customer.
Dimensions: N/A Number of products: 24 Type of Beer: Alcohol-free mixed.
How do we choose the best beer Advent calendars?
When it comes to picking out the best beer Advent calendars, we consider a few key factors.
Firstly we choose trusted brands with a history of releasing Advents that not only provide beers with value, but also ones that people have come to know and love in their leisurely drinking time.
Secondly, just being a trusted brand isn't enough.
The calendar has to have a diverse mixture of beers to enhance the overall enjoyment of discovering something new behind each door.
Lastly, we sift through the reviews left by customers – as opinions from beer enthusiasts can provide a great insight into how enjoyable a beer Advent will be.
What is a beer Advent calendar?
Imagine a typical chocolate Advent calendar; replace it with beer, and you've got it.
A beer Advent calendar typically has 24 doors to open in the days leading up to Christmas, starting on 1st December.
Many calendars include a varied selection of craft beers made by independent breweries, so a beer Advent calendar is a fantastic way for aficionados to try new flavours and expand their beer palette.
Where to buy beer Advent calendars
Online is your best bet for tracking down the ideal calendars with the most varied selection of beers.
Most can be purchased directly from the brewers themselves, but certain online retailers do stock them.
Here's a list if you'd like to hunt for yourself:
How much do beer Advent calendars cost?
The best-value calendars generally start at around £50, with prices rising to around £80.
For advent calendars with lots of extra products like glasses and snacks, and ones that contain bigger bottles of beer, prices can sometimes climb up to around £120, as seen with some of the ones we found.
What to look for in a beer Advent calendar
Think about your budget and find a beer Advent calendar that fits within it.
Consider the type of beer you like and if there are any particular breweries you favour - if so, see if they produce their own Advent calendar.
What is the best beer Advent calendar for 2024?
With so many great options to choose from, it all comes down to personal preference – and of course, how much you want to spend.
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For instance, you might want to go for a household name like BrewDog, whose always goes down a treat with beer fans.
For something more affordable, the Traditional Beer Company's is a great calendar alternative, while the is a complete showstopper with not one dud in it.