Alcohol-filled Christmas countdowns started appearing years ago, but the best beer advent calendars took a little longer to emerge. They join a growing number of gin and wine advent calendars.
Beer lovers truly are spoiled for choice when it comes to ale-filled advent calendars. Whether it’s ones produced by brewing behemoths such as BrewDog or lesser-known breweries (such as North Yorkshire’s Black Sheep Brewery) known for their limited-edition craft beers, there’s ample on offer.
When testing, I found the Best of British Beer has the best beer advent calendar, thanks to its excellent value and impressive range of beers included. But I’ve also tried, tested and handpicked a range of other impressive options that cover all tastes and budgets.
The best beer advent calendars for 2025 are:
- Best overall – Best of British Beer beer advent calendar: £69.99, Bestofbritishbeer.co.uk
- Best premium calendar – Black Sheep Brewery Christmas beer advent calendar: £79, Blacksheepbrewery.com
- Best mix of beer and cider – Woodforde’s Brewery advent calendar: £75, Woodfordes.com
- Best for lager lovers – Best of British Beer lager advent calendar: £69.99, Bestofbritishbeer.co.uk
- Best craft beer advent calendar – BrewDog beer advent calendar: £64.99, Brewdog.com
How I tested
My testing process involved drinking on the job (someone’s got to do it). But as a self-confessed beer connoisseur, I didn’t just judge the calendars on the quality of the juice. I considered the taste of each beer included in each calendar, the variety, the breweries chosen, the value for money and design. You can read my testing criteria in full at the end of the guide. But without further ado, here are the best beer advent calendars – and a hoppy Christmas to you.
Read more: Best wine advent calendars to toast to this season
Best of British Beer beer advent calendar
Best: Beer advent calendar overall
Number of days: 24
Why we love it
- Great value
- Mix of can and bottle sizes
Take note
- Packaging could be more exciting
After careful deliberation, the Best of British Beer has created the best beer advent calendar. While the brand has used a similar design for several years, the phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind. With its great selection of beers, this advent calendar won’t fail to deliver.
What sets this calendar apart is the range of included breweries. Beers range from hazy IPAs (guaranteed crowd-pleasers) to fruity beers that will appeal to those who love a hoppy tipple (the chocolate honeycomb stout from Seven Bro7hers brewery, for example). I appreciated the mix of bottle and can sizes too – with 330ml, 440ml and 500ml bottles and cans included – which ramps up its appeal.
Buy now £69.99, Bestofbritishbeer.co.uk
Black Sheep Brewery Christmas beer advent calendar
Best: Premium beer advent calendar
Number of doors: 24
Why we love it
- Great range of brews
- Nice extras
Take note
- Expensive
In recent years, everyone from John Lewis to Fortnum and Mason has launched own-brand booze-filled advent calendars, so it’s great to see smaller breweries getting in on the act. And Black Sheep Brewery’s Christmas beer advent calendar is a great premium pick.
Black Sheep Brewery, based in Masham, North Yorkshire, was founded in 1992 and is known for its innovative stouts, pale and blonde ales and hoppy IPAs (which, I should point out, have bagged a pretty impressive haul of awards).
The calendar includes plenty of bestsellers, although I was especially excited about the seasonal sips such as the Blitzen beer, a true winter warmer infused with notes of chocolate and caramel (the bottle, featuring a Santa hat-wearing sheep, is also incredibly cool). Similarly, the two included coasters will certainly come in useful.
The brewery has clearly given the calendar’s design some thought – I love the “This box belongs to…” space that allows the owner to add their name (and ramps up its suitability as a gift). The design of the box, which features icicles on the side, is fantastically festive, too.
Buy now £79.00, Blacksheepbrewery.com
Woodforde's advent calendar
Best: Mix of beer and cider
Number of doors: 24
Why we love it
- Great range of seasonal
- Limited edition tipples
Take note
- Packaging should be more sustainable
Woodforde is a Norwich-based brewery that has been doing its thing since 1981. While I’m often wary about calendars that only contain a single brewery’s tipples, Woodfoorde has an impressive portfolio, which means there were no such concerns here. And I found it the best mix of beers and ciders.
Despite its heritage, this is a brewery that has something to offer every type of beer drinker – the tropical IPA was unexpectedly delicious, as was the Santa’s tipple festive lager (who can resist a beer in a can adorned with a beer-swigging Santa?). As a traditionalist, I loved the inclusion of the deliciously drinkable wherry amber ale.
My one gripe is that it’s packed with landfill-destined foam noodles – I’d have appreciated more sustainable packaging.
Buy now £75.00, Woodfordes.com
Best of British Beer lager advent calendar
Best: Lager advent calendar
Number of doors: 24
Why we love it
- Good value for money
- Great selection of beers from well-known and smaller breweries
Take note
- Same design as the beer version
I was seriously impressed by the range of beers in Best of British Beer’s lager advent calendar, which is a great option for anyone hoping to expand their beer palate.
Thanks to this Christmas countdown, I now have a serious weakness for Williams Bros Brewing’s wonderfully citrusy che guava radical lager, as well as some of the lagers from smaller breweries rarely represented in the advent calendar world (Surrey-based Hogstar Brewing). There’s even a lager made with champagne yeast. Sounds weird, but somehow, it works.
I also loved how cardboard shreds (as opposed to foam noodles) were used to cushion the contents.
Buy now £69.99, Bestofbritishbeer.co.uk
BrewDog beer advent calendar
Best: Craft beer advent calendar
Number of doors: 25
Why we love it
- Sturdy packaging
Take note
- Most cans are only 330ml
BrewDog beer advent calendar has a funky, rather than festive, design. It’s seriously stylish, adorned with what can only be described as post-modern Christmas trees. And it happens to be one of the most sturdy out of all those I tested.
With 25 doors – one more than all of the other calendars I tested (although one of the items is a pin badge, not a beer) – you’ll find all the brand’s big-hitters here, including wingman craft lager, clockwork tangerine and punk IPA, as well as a pint glass. A great option for fans of BrewDog.
Buy now £64.99, Brewdog.com
Menkind beer collection advent calendar
Best: Designed beer advent calendar
Number of doors: 24
Why we love it
- Great design
- Lots of lesser-known breweries
Take note
- High price for quantity of beer
I often find myself thinking about why beer advent calendars don’t have a more exciting design, and although the design of Menkind’s beer advent calendar is rather simple, I absolutely love it. The ring pull-shaped doors are genius and incredibly easy to open.
I loved the inclusion of lesser-known breweries such as Toast Brewing (a London-based brewery that uses surplus bread to brew its beer). But my one gripe is the price tag – given that all of the cans are 330ml, I expected it to be slightly lower.
Buy now £0.00, Menkind.co.uk
Signature Brew pub in a box
Best: Beer advent calendar for gifting
Number of doors: 8
Why we love it
- Great value
Take note
- Not a traditional advent calendar
Signature Brew pub in a box is the best beer advent calendar for gifting. It offers brilliant value and includes multiple non-beer added extras, including a signature brew pint glass, some bar snacks (the salted nuts were delicious) and coasters.
I love the suggested Spotify playlist, with songs to match every beer. The box contains eight cans of Signature Brew’s craft beer, including its bestselling backstage IPA and its studio lager. But as this isn’t a traditional festive countdown, I’d recommend saving this for Christmas Day.
Buy now £32.95, Signaturebrew.co.uk
What are the best beer advent calendars?
Quite simply, the Best of British Beer advent calendar knocks it out of the park when it comes to both value and the range of beers included. For something more premium, I’d recommend Black Sheep Brewery’s Christmas beer advent calendar, which has a similarly impressive line-up of tipples (including some great seasonal ones), as well as some funky coasters.
How I selected the best beer advent calendars
I’ve been reviewing beer advent calendars since 2020. Whenever testing, I consider the following factors:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Tamara Hinson is a self-proclaimed passionate beer drinker who gave her verdict on the best beer advent calendars. She’s written this guide every year since 2020, so she’s been able to note down advancements in the market, making her an expert in the field.
For the makeup and beauty fan in your life, why not gift one of the best beauty advent calendars
