Thanks to the boom in festive boxes, counting down to the big day has put window shopping in a whole new light – and finding your favourite tipple slotted behind a number has never been so lush.
With so many liquid treats marking the days, or crackers to chime with the party season and tinsel-decked tablescapes, now’s the time to get your skates on and gift one to yourself or a loved one – and begin your journey, from gin to wine, to whisky…
1. Moth Canned Cocktail Crackers, £20, (4 crackers per set, 125ml to 200ml), Moth Drinks – available from W/C November 6.
Pull and pour…forget the paper party hat and offer your friends a ready-made cocktail instead. The easiest way to get into the festive spirit – think espresso martini, margarita, piña colada and negroni to toast the party season with a bar quality, show-stopping serve.
2. Virgin Wines Wine Christmas Crackers, £31.99, (6 crackers per set, 6 x 187ml), Virgin Wines.
With a focus on our favourite wine styles, Santa’s helpers have plucked a sauvignon blanc, chenin blanc, pinot grigio, grenache, malbec and shiraz to get the most bang for your buck.
3. Pickering’s Gin Crimbo Limbo Calendar, £30, (6 x 50ml), Summerhall Distillery.
Gin genius…why limit your days of discovery to 25, when you can countdown from Boxing Day to New Year’s Eve as well? This assortment of flavoured gins will keep the festive fervour flowing.
4. That Boutique-y Gin Company Advent Calendar 2023 Edition, (24 x 30ml), £59.95, Master of Malt.
A juniper journey to spike your thirst, this gin-tastic line-up features a myriad of styles. From cask-aged London dry gin from the Cotswold Distillery, to port-barrelled pink Gin from Salcombe Distilling Co, to a smoked rosemary gin, these wax-sealed samples are worth foraging for.
5. Woodforde’s Advent Calendar, £65, Woodforde’s Brewery.
Award-winning Norfolk beer in a box – we’re in. Along with Woodforde’s core range, you’ll find craft beers, a stable of seasonals such as Tinsel Toes (Christmas ale) and a couple of surprises.
6. Black Sheep Brewery Christmas Beer Advent Calendar, £65, Black Sheep Brewery.
Yorkshire brewery Black Sheep are back with their trophy winning line-up of bottles and cans of beer. Presented in a green or red box, each brew is sure to delight hop heads, with a few limited-edition surprises along the way.
7. Virgin Wines Mixed Wine Advent Calendar 2023, £89.99, (24 x 187ml), Virgin Wines.
These wines from around the world will impress the most discerning drinker. With a white, rosé and red to rouse their tasting adventure, this year’s edition includes wines never featured before. With the added bonus of a full-size bonzer shiraz to crack open on the big day. Cheers!
8. Drinks By The Dram Bourbon & American Whiskey Advent Calendar (2023 Edition), £129.99, was £149.95, (24 x 30ml), Master of Malt.
An American joyride through some of the best bourbon, rye and Tennessee whiskey, these windows are guaranteed to wet the whistle. With headliners such as Four Roses Bourbon, Bulleit 10-Year Old Bourbon, Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon and Yellowstone Select Whiskey, this seasonal special offers a joyous line-up.
9. Laithwaites Fine Wine Advent Calendar, £150, (24 x 100ml), Laithwaites.
A showstopper to wow a wine lover, inside this luxe line-up of New World and Old World wines, they’ll find blue chip labels such as Whispering Angel and Cloudy Bay sitting beside top-drawer regions including Burgundy, Barolo and Barossa Valley. Each pack includes a tasting note, serving suggestion and QR code to explore their favourite styles.
10. The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 12 Drams of Christmas + membership offer, £199, (12 x 50cl), SMWS.
A golden ticket to the wonderful world of Scotch whisky…alongside this delightful dozen themed to Crimbo, with jolly named, cask-strength drams such as Party Tarts and Marshmallows to Toast, it will be jingle bells all the way with a year’s membership to the world’s biggest whisky club. Benefits include access to exclusive whiskies, member’s rooms, tasting events and much more.
