Best value alcohol advent calendars including gin, whisky, wine and beer

THIS Christmas, make sure you're getting the most booze for your buck with our investigation of the best value alcoholic advent calendars.

With prices ranging from £10 for one miniature bottle with chocolate truffles, to thousands of pounds for the most expensive calendars out there, it can be difficult to make sure you're getting a good deal.

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Fortunately, the Sun has examined all the options for £120 or less to find out which ones are worth buying.

We've haven't just looked at the cheapest - we've also calculated the cost per 100ml of alcohol to see which ones give you the best value for money.
We've also highlighted some that are perfect for a more luxury gift because they have a greater variety or are more quirky or unusual.

We've broken the calendars down into six categories: beer, wine, whisky, gin, mixed and calendars with chocolates and booze.

Here's our pick of the best:

The best beer advent calendars

LEAST EXPENSIVE

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• Celebration Countdown Calendar - Studio.co.uk - £29.99 (£1.51 per 100ml) -

This was certainly the cheapest advent calendar we found for beer lovers, but there is a catch - there's only seven doors rather than 24.

That means that the per 100ml cost is £1.29, making the worst calendar in terms of value for money.

It comes with:

• 330ml Wiper and True Milkshake Milk Stout (5.6 per cent)
• 330ml Wiper and True Small Beer Batch 26 (2.7 per cent)
• 330ml Jack Brand Dry Hopped Lager (4.2 per cent)
• 330ml Jack Brand Mosaic Pale Ale (4.1 per cent)
• 330ml The Raven Bourbon Milk Stout (4.3 per cent)
• 330ml Abolition Amber Ale (3.8 per cent)
• 330ml Seraphim Blonde Beer (4.1 per cent)

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY

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• Adnams Beer Advent Calendar - Adnams.co.uk - £49.99 (50p per 100ml) -

The Adnams calendar might be more pricey, but because it's got 24 doors, it works out as much better value, costing just 50p per 100ml.

You get more variety too. It contains:

• 1 x Ease Up IPA Bottle
• 2 x Dry Hopped Lager Bottles
• 1 x Lighthouse Bottle
• 1 x Cucumelon Can
• 2 x Crystal Rye IPA Cans
• 1 x Ghost Ship 0.5 per cent Bottle
• 1 x Explorer Bottles
• 2 x Ghost Ship 4.5 per cent Bottles
• 1 x Innovation IPA Bottle
• 2 x Mosaic Pale Ale Cans
• 2 x Southwold Bitter Cans
• 1 x Broadside Bottle
• 1 x Tally-ho Bottle
• 1 x Both Barrels Bottle
• 2 x New England IPA Cans
• 2 x Earl Grey Lager Cans
• 1 x Sole Star Bottle

RUNNER UP

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• Craft Beer Advent-ure - Beer Hawk - £49.99 (61p per 100ml) -

The runner in terms of value for money was the Craft Beer Advent-ure calendar, which came in at 61p per 100ml.

It's the same price as the Adnams one and also had a great variety of beers.

It includes 15 different beer styles from the likes of Mikkeller, Thornbridge, Amundsen, Magic Rock, Wild Beer and Bosteels.

MOST EXPENSIVE

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• Virgin Wines beer calendar - £71.99 (90p per 100ml) -

Even though the Virgin calendar is the most expensive, because it comes with 24 bottles it still works out as better value than the cheapest calendar.

From a variety perspective it's great too because it doesn't double up on anything.

It includes:

• Orval, 330ml, ABV 6.2 per cent
• Saison Dupont, 330ml, ABV 6.5 per cent
• Malt Coast Pale Ale, 330ml, ABV 4.2 per cent
• Stone IPA, 330ml, 6.9 per cent
• Rude Mechanicals First Edition Pale Ale, 330ml, 4.5 per cent
• Rude Mechanicals Feather Weight Punchy Pilsner, 330ml, 4.5 per cent
• Harvey’s Gold Bier, 330ml, 3.5 per cent
• Dupont Monk’s Stout, 330ml, 5.2 per cent
• Coopers Pale Ale, 375ml, 4.5 per cent
• Stone Ripper Pale Ale, 330ml, 5.7 per cent
• Rochefort 10, 330ml, 11.3 per cent
• Gipsy Hill Hepcat Session IPA, 330ml, 4.6 per cent
• Gipsy Hill Beatnik pale ale, 330ml, 3.8 per cent
• Brugse Zot Blond, 330ml, 6 per cent
• Malt Coast Farm Table Saison, 330ml, 3.6 per cent
• Timmermans Sloe Lambicus, 330ml 3.5 per cent
• Bira 91 Blonde, 330ml, 4.5 per cent
• Berliner Pilsner, 330ml, 5 per cent
• Pabst Blue Ribbon, 330ml, 4.7 per cent
• Bellerose Blonde, 330ml, 6.5 per cent
• Harvey’s Sussex Best Bitter, 330ml, 4 per cent
• St Feuillien Saison, 330ml, 6.2 per cent
• Bavik Pils, 330ml, 5.2 per cent
• Malt Coast Black IPA, 330ml, 5 per cent

The best wine advent calendars

LEAST EXPENSIVE AND BEST VALUE FOR MONEY

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• 24 Three Mill Wines - B&M - £24.99 (78p per 100ml) - .

B&M's wine calendar was both the cheapest and the best value for money.

It costs £24.99 for 24 187ml bottles, which works out at  78p per 100ml.

You get a mixture of red white and rose Three Mill Wines.

It's only available in store - and you can find your nearest B&M

It includes:

• Classic Red
• Classic White
• Classic Rose
• Reserve Red
• Reserve White
• Reserve Rose
• Pinot Grigio
• Merlot
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Summer Berry Flavour
• Tropical Fruit Flavour

RUNNER UP

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• 24 days of wine - John Lewis - £60 (£1.33 per 100ml) - .

In second place is John Lewis' 24 days of wine calendar, but it's a sharp increase in terms of price.

But you do get more variety both in terms of the number of different wines and the vineyards that they come from.

Again - it is a mixed calendar including both reds, whites and roses.

It includes:

• Silver Creek Shiraz
• Water's Edge Merlot
• Altaria Merlot
• Trivento Reserve Malbec
• Water's Edge Shiraz
• Alma Terramater Cabernet Sauvignon
• Founder's Stone Shiraz
• Founder's Stone White Zinfandel
• Water's Edge Chardonnay
• Founder's Stone Merlot
• Alma Terramater Sauvignon Blanc
• McGuigan Black Label Chardonnay
• Quartetto Pinot Grigio
• Silver Creek Chardonnay
• Altaria Sauvignon Blanc
• Orario Pinot Grigio
• Founder's Stone Chardonnay
• Johann Bihn Liebfraumilch
• Water's Edge Pinot Grigio Rose
• McGuigan Black Label Rose
• Pink Fox White Zinfandel
• Founder's Stone Pinot Grigio Rose
• McGuigan Black Label Shiraz
• Water's Edge Sauvignon Blanc

MOST EXPENSIVE 

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• Virgin Wines advent calendar - £71.99 (£1.60 per 100ml) -

The most expensive wine calendar we looked at was the Virgin Wines one, which costs £71.99.

It also worked out as the worst value for money, costing £1.60 per 100ml of alcohol.

But the wines have won 23 awards between them and are the top rated by Virgin customers, so it's the perfect calendar for a real connoisseur.

There's also a red-only and white-only option for people who prefer one colour of wine.

There's also fizzy wines included, perfect for a real celebration.

The mixed calendar includes:

• Senti Prosecco Extra Dry
• Perez Cruz Single Vineyard La Higuera Block
• Veuve d'Argent Blanc de Blancs
• De Martino Niebla Casablanca Sauvignon Blanc
• Savvie Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
• Don Q Verdejo
• Les Arbousiers Gros Manseng Sauvignon Blanc
• Nadia's Pure Chenin Blanc
• Vitalita Falaghina
• Les Trois Cles Chardonnay
• The Intrepid Bear Sauvignon Blanc
• 16 Little Black Pigs Chardonnay Semillion
• Vat 27 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
• Billy Bosch Shiraz
• Don Q Garnacha
• Shed Ten Shiraz Cabernet
• La Parrilla Malbec
• The Intrepid Bear Brown Bear Reserve Pinot Noir
• Woolundry Road Sparkling Red
• The Long Way Round Merlot
• La Jamais Content Syrah Grenache
• De Martino Reserva Enigma
• The Black Pig Shiraz
• The Craftsman Touriga Blend

The best gin advent calendars

LEAST EXPENSIVE AND BEST VALUE FOR MONEY

• Gin and Tonic Tasting Selection - Home Bargains - £29.99 (£5 per 100ml) - buy in store

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The Gin and Tonic tasting selection from Home Bargains was the cheapest and best value for money advent calendar we could find.

It only has twelve doors though, so you get only get a drink every other day.

The calendar comes with a selection of different gins and tonic to drink with it.

It includes:

• Belgravia Gin
• Bombay Sapphire Gin
• Gordon's Gin
• Gordon's Pink Gin
• Greenall's Berry Gin
• Greenall's Gin
• Hall & Bramley Violet Gin
• Ophir Gin
• Tanqueray Gin
• Thomas Dakin Gin
• What Lies Beneath Elderflower Gin Liqueur
• What Lies Beneath Rhubarb and Ginger Gin Liqueur

You also get twelve cans of Schweppes tonics to mix with your gins.

RUNNER UP

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• The 12 Gin & Tonics of Christmas - B&M - £34.99 (£5.83 per 100ml) -

B&M's calendar was narrowly pipped to the winning post, but it's still a great shout if you want a delicious gin calendar on a budget.

Like Home Bargains' it comes with 12 gins and 12 tonic waters, but this time the tonic is made by Franklin and Sons.

It includes:

• Belgravia Gin
• Beefeater Gin
• Bombay Sapphire Gin
• Gordon's Gin
• Gordon's Pink Gin
• Greenall's Berry Gin
• Greenall's Gin
• Hayman's Gin
• J.J. Whitley Elderflower Gin
• JJ Whitley London Dry Gin
• Martin Miller Gin
• Tanqueray Gin

CHEAPEST AND BEST VALUE 24 WINDOW CALENDAR

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• The Boutique-y Gin Company Advent calendar - Hamper Lounge or Master of Malt - £49.95 (£6.93 per 100ml) - ,

If you want to have a window to open every day of advent, you'll obviously need to spend a bit more on your calendar.

We'd recommend the Boutique-y gin company calendar, which has a great selection of gins at the most reasonable price - costing £49.95.

The individual measures are slightly smaller than in the Home Bargains and B&M ones (30ml vs 50mls).

But each gin comes in a gorgeous wax-sealed below making every gin seem like a real treat.

It includes:

• Bush Tucker Gin - Chilgrove Spirits
• Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin
• Yuzu Gin
• Cucamelon Gin
• Strawberry & Balsamico Gin
• Neroli Gin
• Chocolate Orange Gin
• Yuletide Gin
• Finger Lime Gin
• Rhubarb Triangle Gin
• Cherry Gin
• Fresh Rain Gin
• Dead King Gin
• Beware of the Woods Gin
• Swedish Rose Gin - Hernö
• Moonshot Gin
• GrapeskGin (Chardonnay & Pinot Noir) - Renegade London Wine
• Proper Pink Gin
• Cold-Brew Coffee Gin
• Big Dipper Gin
• Salt Marsh Gin - Greensand Ridge
• Louche Lemon Decadence Gin
• Smoked Rosemary Gin
• CitroLondon Dry Gin - Fifty Eight Gin Distillery

MOST EXPENSIVE 

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• The Gin Explorer Advent Calendar - Drinks by the Dram - £99.95 (£13.88 per 100ml) -

The most expensive calendar we looked at was the Gin Explorer option from Drinks by the Dram, which cost £99.95.

Unsurprisingly this was also the most expensive option per ml of gin.

But it also had the most unusual gins of those we looked at - perfect for someone who wants something a bit more special or unusual.

It includes:

• Hendrick's Midsummer Solstice
• Hernö Old Tom Gin
• Tanqueray Export Strength 43.1%
• Chase Pink Grapefruit and Pomelo Gin
• Brighton Gin Seaside Strength
• Salcombe Gin - Start Point
• Strawberry & Balsamico Gin (That Boutique-y Gin Company)
• Chapel Down Bacchus Gin
• Gordon's Elderflower Gin
• Thomas Dakin Manchester Gin
• Gordon's Pink Gin
• One Gin
• Chapel Down Pinot Noir Gin
• St. George Botanivore Gin
• Edinburgh Christmas Gin
• Cherry Gin (That Boutique-y Gin Company)
• Bathtub Gin
• Bullards Strawberry & Black Pepper Gin
• Chase Seville Marmalade Gin
• Dingle Original Gin
• Proper Pink Gin (That Boutique-y Gin Company)
• Bathtub Gin - Sloe Gin
• Spit-Roasted Pineapple Gin (That Boutique-y Gin Company)
• Porter's Modern Classic Dry Gin

The best whisky advent calendars

LEAST EXPENSIVE

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• The Whisky Explorer Advent Calendar - Drinks by the Dram - £99.95 (£13.88 per 100ml) -

This Drinks by the Dram calendar was the cheapest dedicated whisky calendar we tested.

It's still quite expensive at £99.95, and it wasn't the best for value for money coming in at £13.88 per 100ml.

Each of the 24 whiskies comes in a handmade wax-sealed drams containing 30ml of whisky each.

Every day is different too, so you get a good variety.

• Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year Old Single Malt
• Kavalan Distillery Select
• Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera
• Cardhu Gold Reserve
• Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
• Glen Scotia Double Cask
• The Dubliner Irish Whiskey
• Glengoyne 12 Year Old
• Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Year Old Special Reserve
• Mackinlay's Shackleton Blended Malt
• Peat (Pure Islay) - Elements Of Islay
• Rebel Yell Small Batch Rye
• Teeling Small Batch
• Jim Beam Devil's Cut
• Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey
• Pike Creek 10 Year Old
• Bulleit Rye
• Haig Club
• Jim Beam Rye
• Roe & Co Irish Whiskey
• Loch Lomond 12 Year Old
• Compass Box Great King Street - Artist's Blend
• Dewar's 12 Year Old - The Ancestor
• Starward Two Fold

BEST VALUE FOR MONEY

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• Whisky Advent Cracker - First4Hampers - £125 (£10.41 per 100ml) -

This calendar was quite a bit more expensive than the Drinks by the Dram one, but if you can stretch to it then you're actually getting a slightly better deal.

That's because each of the whiskies comes in at 50ml, meaning you end up with more alcohol overall.

A couple of the whiskies are doubled up, so you don't get quite so much variety.

This calendar is available from a number of stockists, so it's worth checking online to make sure you're getting the best price.

It includes:

• 2 x Glengoyne 10 YO Single Malt Scotch Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle
• 1 x Pigs Nose Blended Whisky 5cl Btle
• 2 x Sheep Dip Blended Malt Whisky 5cl Btle
• 2 x Glen Scotia Double Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky 5cl - 46% Btle
• 2 x Inchmurrin 12 YO Highland Malt Scotch Whisky 5cl - 46% Btle
• 1 x Aberlour 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 5cl - 40%
• 1 x Ardberg 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 5cl - 46%
• 1 x Glenfiddich 12 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 5cl - 4
• 1 x Glenlivet Founder's Reserve Single Malt Whisky 5cl
• 1 x Speyburn 10 Year Old Single Malt Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle
• 1 x Tomatin 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 5cl - 43% Btle
• 1 x Tomatin Legacy Single Malt Scotch Whisky 5cl - 43% Btle
• 1 x Isle Of Skye 8 Year Old Blended Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle
• 1 x Johnnie Walker Black Label Blended Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle
• 1 x Johnnie Walker Red Label Blended Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle
• 1 x Finlaggan Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle
• 1 x Bushmills Original Irish Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle
• 1 x Jameson Irish Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle
• 1 x Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle
• 1 x Black & White Choice Old Scotch Whisky 5cl - 40% Btle

The best chocolate and booze advent calendars

If you don't want to drink every day, or you think you'd miss your chocolates too much, there as some very affordable calendars that give you a daily chocolate as well as a tipple for Christmas day itself.

Here's our favourite options.

LEAST EXPENSIVE WHISKY

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• Walking in a Whisky Wonderland - M&S - £10 - buy in store

This calendar features milk and dark chocolate whisky truffles and a mini bottle of 12 year matured Speyside whisky for Christmas Day.

RUNNER UP

• The Famous Grouse Whisky and Truffle advent calendar - Debenhams - £10.40 -

A Famous Grouse flavoured chocolate truffle every day until Christmas Eve, and a Famous Grouse 50ml bottle for Christmas Day.

LEAST EXPENSIVE GIN

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• Gingle all the Way - M&S - £10 - buy in store

23 milk and dark chocolate gin truffles and a mini bottle of London Dry Gin for Christmas Day.

RUNNERS UP

• Tanqueray and chocolate advent calendar - Debenhams - £11.70 -

24 ganaches made with fresh cream, white chocolate and London Dry Gin encased in a white chocolate shell every day until Christmas eve. Followed by a mini Tanqueray London Dry Gin bottle for Christmas day.

• Gordons Pink Gin & Chocolate - Amazon - £12.98 -

24 chocolates counting down to Christmas and a miniature Gordons Pink Gin for Christmas Day.

The best mixed advent calendars

WINE, SPIRITS AND BEERS

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• 12 day of Christmas - Adnams - £49.99 (£1.39 per 100ml) -

This advent calendar contains a mix of premium beer, wine, cider, gin and even proseccos.

It's only got twelve doors, but would be perfect for anyone who doesn't want to stick to one type of booze and likes more variety.

It includes:

• 1 x Wild Wave English Cider Can
• 1 x Ghost Ship 4.5 per cent Bottle
• 1 x Triple Knot Tripel Bottle
• 1 x Dry Hopped Lager Bottle
• 1 x Adnams Prosecco Mini Bottle
• 1 x Adnams Copper House Dry Gin Mini Bottle
• 1 x Gin & Tonic Can
• 1 x Pink Gin & Tonic Can
• 1 x Broadside Bottle
• 1 x Tally-Ho Bottle
• 1 x Sauvignon Blanc Mini Bottle
• 1 x Malbec Mini Bottle

MIXED SPIRITS

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• Twelve Spirits of Christmas - B&M - £19.99 (£3.33 per 100mls) -

This calendar is perfect if you like to try lots of drinks.

You get twelve miniature spirits including baileys, gin, whisky, rum, port and vodka.

Each miniature is 50ml, which is the equivalent of a double in most UK pubs.

It includes:

• 50ml Baileys Original
• 5cl Lakes Rhubarb and Rosehip Gin Liqueur
• 5cl Malibu
• 5cl Smirnoff Vodka
• 50ml Famous Grouse
• 5cl Gordons Pink Gin
• 5cl Cockburn’s Port
• 5cl Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum
• 50ml Tanqueray London Dry
• 2cl Jägermeister
• 50ml Disaronno
• 5cl Courvoisier

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