The countdown to Christmas is always exciting, but nothing makes it more festive than a well-chosen advent calendar.
A rewarding way to tick off each day in the run-up to the 25th, an advent calendar makes the Yuletide wait a little more exciting every time you pop open one of the calendar’s mysterious doors and see what lies within.
While they were traditionally focused on toys or chocolates, you can now get advent calendars of all sorts, from those hiding instant noodles, to some that only offer rubber ducks.
However, if your favourite tipple is gin, and your go-to cocktail is a gin and tonic, you’re in luck, because there are a range of fantastic gin advent calendars available to buy now.
Pros: Generous with gin portions, amazing craft gin selection
Cons: On the pricier side
Rating: 5/5
Just looking at the festive home pictured on the front of this Craft Gin Club Advent calendar is enough to get you in a Christmassy mood – and that’s before you open each exciting door.
This is a generous calendar for gin lovers. It contains 25 different 5cl miniature bottles of delectable craft gins from small and independent producers across the UK and around the world.
While you can see information on 20 of them in advance of opening, there are five mystery gins included also to help heighten the traditional advent calendar surprise.
I love the variety of festive flavours, which includes Christmas Cake Gin, Fireside Gin and Under The Tree Gin, plus classic London Dry, citrus and spiced gins.
Another plus is that every gin is from a craft distiller, meaning this calendar is a great way to discover new favourite producers.
If your tipple of choice is a G&T, there’s also a pairings bundle you can buy separately for £39.95, which comes with 25 cans of Artisan Drinks Co mixers and two packs of garnish.
Number of days included: 25
Drinks By The Dram Gin Advent Calendar
Pros: Looks great, variety of gins
Cons: Small bottles
Rating: 4.5/5
This advent calendar ticks lots of our gin-loving boxes.
Looks beautiful, with its rich teal tone? Tick. 25 yummy mini bottles, with one for Christmas Day too? Tick. A huge mix of flavours to suit all taste buds? Tick.
This advent calendar by Drinks by the Dram contains 25, 30ml wax-sealed tasters in a range of flavours, including Moonshot Gin, Jaffa Cake Gin and Cherry Gin.
It’s on the more affordable end of the price spectrum, but feels high-quality thanks to its freestanding style, luxurious bronze embossing and opening door.
A great all-rounder.
Number of days included: 25, Dimensions: W 31cm X H 30cm X D 10cm
Virgin Gin Advent Calendar 2024
Pros: Generous and varied gin portions
Cons: Box isn’t as smart as others in the price bracket
Rating: 4.5/5
Juniper aficionados will be impressed by the generous selection of 24, 5cl mini bottles included in Virgin Wines’ 2024 advent calendar, which is immediately eye-catching with its festive penguin design.
I love the combination of gins included, with everything from household names such as Bombay Sapphire and Beefeater, to botanical blends from small distilleries.
If you’re adventurous with your taste for tipples, investing in a calendar like this is a great way to try gins infused with everything from British honey to Yorkshire tea.
You never know, you might even find a new favourite.
Ideal for an adventurous gin lover, this pretty advent calendar from Drinks by the Dram and That Boutique-y Gin Company contains 24 super varied flavours of 3cl gin bottles.
Flavours include Spiced Clementine Gin, Christmas Pudding Gin, Pink Grapefruit Brûlée Gin and Toasted Marshmallow Hot Chocolate Gin Liqueur.
I love the Hogwarts letter-style wax seal on each bottle, and just looking at the homely picture on the front of the box gets me into the festive spirit.
Plus, it’s on the affordable side of the spectrum too, considering there is a bottle for every day of December in the lead-up to Christmas.
It’s a great option for a gin lover who wants to try several flavours before committing to buying a bigger bottle.
Number of items: 24; Dimensions: W 31cm X H 30cm X D 10cm
Drinks By The Dram 12 Dram Gin Advent
Pros: Affordable, on the smaller side
Cons: Only 12 gins
Rating: 4/5
If you want to enjoy the thrill of an Advent calendar in the lead-up to Christmas, but don’t want to blow your budget or are tight on space, then this advent calendar from Drinks by the Dram is a great compromise.
It’s on the smaller side, but still contains 12 yummy wax-sealed 30ml samples of delicious gin from a variety of impressive producers.
My favourites include The Botanist Islay Dry Gin, Darnley's Navy Strength Spiced Gin and Boudier Saffron Gin. You may well find a new preferred tipple here.
It may be small in stature, but it's big on looks, with the smart teal and bronze colour palette perfect for keeping proudly on display.
Number of days included: 12; Dimensions: W 18cm X H 24cm X D 8cm
Getting Personal Tiny Tipsy Tree Alcohol Advent Calendar