Last Update: September 21, 2023
Heads up! While you may not be thinking about Christmas just yet, the boozy Advent Calendar industry is raring to go.
The 2023 pre-sales have already begun with perennial early-bird Flaviar’s Whiskey Calendar. I’ll keep this page up to date as I find out about new boxes and updates to when you can order or pre-order existing boxes, and when they’re sold out.
FYI: I find great wine deals so you don’t have to. To keep me on the hunt, I earn a commission when you buy wine based on my recommendations.
Skip the background, take me to the booze! Wine | Beer | Liquor & Cocktails
While kids of all ages look forward to a chocolate surprise each day in December leading up to Christmas, the adults get to look forward to Advent Calendars stocked with wine (and other booze) to help the holiday season go down a little more smoothly.
Beginning with ALDI and VineBox, wine advent calendars and Twelve Days of Christmas boxes really became a thing (in the US) several years ago. Like all trendy products the earliest versions are amazing and then everyone floods the market with mediocre versions to capitalize on the trend.
Here are some tips to make sure you get the most fun out of your boozy advent calendar splurge.
Tip #1: There are two kinds of boozy "advent calendars:"
You can treat the 12 Days of Christmas traditionally (starting on Christmas Day and enjoying through January 5), you can use it like a shorter Advent-style countdown which you’d start on December 12, or you can order two and start your fun on December 1.
Tip #2: Some calendars are designed for one person, some for two.
Depending on what kind of experience you’re looking for, you may want/need to double your order. If you have a partner or a friend you’re sharing with, check the volume of each container (I list that below) to make sure you have enough. In the Good to know section for each calendar I recommend how many people can enjoy the calendar, but use your own judgement.
Tip #3: Quality varies wildly and taste is subjective.
These wine, beer, and liquor advent calendars, for the most part, are mass-market products. If you are a connoisseur, you will not enjoy these products. If you believe you know what good wine/beer/liquor is, you probably will not enjoy these products. There are a few exceptions:
Tip #4: You can’t send booze everywhere in the US
If you’ve never ordered alcohol online there is no reason you should know this annoying fact. I break down the "why" at that link, but for now, all you need know is to check if you (or your gift recipient) can receive that advent calendar where they live or work.
I include shipping states in each listing (where they’re known) and also offer up advent calendars you can pick up locally at places like Aldi, Costco, Total Wine, Target, and World Market.
To make matters more complicated, in the UK they have MANY awesome boozy advent calendars that we don’t get in the states. You won’t find them on this list because I only work with a US audience. Many other advent calendar lists do not discriminate and will waste your time (because clickbait).
Wine Delivery Advice from a Pro: My recommendation is to ship the package to your workplace if possible, or once you receive your shipping notice, redirect the shipment to a nearby FedEx or UPS pick-up location (they work with big chain stores like Walgreens, Duane Reade, and Michaels, not just FedEx Office stores and UPS Stores).
Word to the wise: These super-fun adult beverage adventures sell out quickly — often within a few weeks of opening for pre-orders. If something on this page catches your fancy, don’t wait to order!
Same design as 2022, new wines
Style: Advent Calendar
Bottle Size:
187mL / 5oz (large glass)
Good to know: 24 unique wines; Unusual grapes and styles; Only good for one person; Private label wines.
Price: $139.99,
includes free shipping
On sale: Pre-sale
Ship date: Typically mid November
My personal favorite among the Wine Advent Calendars is the one produced by In Good Taste. I’ve tried their 187mL (one fourth of a bottle) mini wines in the past and some are better than others, but it’s all perfect for enjoying a nightly glass of wine during the holidays. Save $20 with code CHEERS
Red wines I tried from In Good Taste
La Pluma wines I tried from In Good Taste
I like that they also provide a list of the wines in the box, with the wine region and grape varieties called out. Some wines have tasting notes. As is appropriate to enjoy the surprise aspect of the advent calendar, they don’t tell you which wine you’ll open each day.
In 2022, they’ve added a few bells and whistles to their Advent Calendar experience. First, they’ve added an interactive component with a daily video and email to help you enjoy the wine even more. Second, they have a rewards program and are offering members 3x rewards points on purchases of Advent Calendars.
The portions are per person for this advent calendar, so I recommend you order two calendars if you plan to share the experience.
If you enjoy sampling single-serving pours instead of a whole bottle at a time, you can get started sooner or keep the fun going later by ordering their regular tasting collections.
In Good Taste cannot ship to: AL, AK, AR, DE, HI, KY, MS, RI, or UT. U.S. only.
In 2023 there are two different 12-taste options
Style: Twelve Days of Christmas
Bottle Size:
100mL / 3.3oz (a small pour)
Good to know: 12 unique wines; Unusual grapes and styles; Two boxes to choose from; Only good for one person.
Price: $129,
includes free shipping
On sale: Now
Ship date: Now
VineBox is the OG for holiday-themed wine tasting boxes in the US. Each “glass” is 3.3 oz (not quite a full glass of wine) and is designed to be a tour of special wineries they choose to work with.
Unlike the last few years, they have two themes to choose from so you can pick what you’re in the mood for — but this year’s themes have different wines in them! The themes are Cozy (all red) and Chill (a mix of Red, White, and Rosé). Both boxes are $129 and contain different selections of 12 distinct wines.
As the portions for this 12 Nights box are per person, I recommend ordering two boxes if you plan to share the experience. Get both boxes for $199 for 24 nights (one for each of you or two for you for a whole month of fun).
I’ve tasted a lot of wines from VineBox over the years, and in general they’re very good. It’s definitely an eclectic selection and you probably won’t love every one of the wines included, but hopefully you’ll enjoy the experience of tasting something new each day.
As soon as they’re ready, I’ll receive this year’s selection and provide the full scoop.
A previous 12 Nights of Christmas I tried from VineBox
A previous 12 Nights of Christmas I tried from VineBox
Rosé sampler I tried from VineBox
A variety of VineBox wines I tried
If you enjoy sampling wines like this, you can get started sooner or keep the fun going later by ordering their other wine tasting boxes. Past examples include Rosé Collection of six glasses for $65, nine Fresh Reds for $95, nine Peaks & Valleys wines for $85, and a sommelier-selected assortment of nine single-varietal wines for $85.
VineBox cannot ship to: AL, AK, AR, DE, HI, KY, NH, MS, RI, SD, UT, or VT. U.S. only.
A mix of red and white wine
Style: Twelve Days of Christmas
Bottle Size:
375mL / 12.5oz (half bottle)
Good to know: 12 good quality wines; Great for sharing; Wine is marked up.
Price: $169,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
Red wine only
Style: Twelve Days of Christmas
Bottle Size:
375mL / 12.5oz (half bottle)
Good to know: 12 good quality red wines; Great for sharing; Wine is marked up.
Price: $169,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
While their website sells mostly beer gifts (beer and other options are listed later in this article), GiveThemBeer.com has cleverly joined the wine advent calendar bonanza and crafted a unique option for wine tasting your way to Christmas. They have curated two selections of twelve 375mL (half) bottles, perfect for sharing or keeping to yourself.
GiveThemBeer.com cannot ship to: AL, AK, HI, KY, MS, OK, or UT. U.S. only.
Buy this Advent Calendar
Style: Twelve Days of Christmas
Bottle Size:
187mL / 5oz (large glass)
Good to know: 12 unique sparkling wines; Fun and festive; Only good for one person; Sparkling wine splits are prone to spoilage.
Price: $119,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
While their website sells mostly beer gifts (beer and other options are listed later in this article), GiveThemBeer.com has cleverly joined the wine advent calendar bonanza and crafted a unique option for wine tasting your way to Christmas. Enjoy 12 different sparkling wines from wineries like Chandon, Ruffino, Bellaire, Segura Viudas, Freixenet
GiveThemBeer.com cannot ship to: AL, AK, HI, KY, MS, OK, or UT. U.S. only.
Buy this Advent Calendar
Style: Advent Calendar
Bottle Size:
187mL / 5oz (large glass)
Good to know: 2 each of 12 different wines; Deliver to a pickup location; Limit 1 per transaction; Very little info available about the wine; High shipping cost.
Price: $84.95,
shipping is extra
On sale: On Sale
Ship date: Now
Sip & Savor wine advent calendars are available from many stores, but BuyWinesOnline.com makes it easy to choose between four different options. They offer two different packages for their 24-day advent calendar — the Snowman Sweater box is pictured, but there’s also a Jumping Reindeer package. There are two each of 12 different wines of these grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Pinot Grigio, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, Rose, Red Blend, Moscato, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon-Syrah, Pinot Noir.
Buy Wines Online cannot ship to: AL, AK, MI, MS, or UT. U.S. only.
Style: 12 Days of Christmas
Bottle Size:
187mL / 5oz (large glass)
Good to know: 12 different wines; Deliver to a pickup location; Limit 1 per transaction; Very little info available about the wine; High shipping cost.
Price: $54.95,
shipping is extra
On sale: Not yet available
Ship date: Typically mid November
Sip & Savor wine advent calendars are available from many stores, but BuyWinesOnline.com makes it easy to choose between four different options. They offer two different packages for their 12 Days of Christmas calendar — the Holiday Christmas Bouquet option is pictured, but there’s also a Holiday Sweater package. There are 12 different wines of these grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Red Blend, Moscato, Merlot, Pinot Grigio, Rose, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, 2x Cabernet Blends
Buy Wines Online cannot ship to: AL, AK, MI, MS, or UT. U.S. only.
2022 design
Style: Advent Calendar
Bottle Size:
187mL / 5oz (large glass)
Good to know: 24 wines from around the world; Bonus sized Prosecco for Christmas Eve; Includes a $25 discount on a future purchase; WSJwine typically offers mediocre wine; More expensive than similar calendars.
Price: $149.99,
includes free shipping
On sale: Not yet available
Ship date: Typically mid November
A selection of popular (mostly) European wines typically offered in full-sized bottles. Includes French Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, white blends, red blends, Cabernet Sauvignon, and a Provencal-style rosé; an aged Rioja from Spain; a Port from Portugal; Italian Pinot Grigio, red blends, a Nero d’Avola, and Corsiero Nero; and a couple of wines from South America. Wrap it all up with a bonus-sized Prosecco for Christmas Eve.
WSJwine cannot ship the Advent Calendar to: AL, AR, DE, MS, RI, or UT. U.S. only.
Buy this Advent Calendar
Style: Advent Calendar
Bottle Size:
187mL / 5oz (large glass)
Good to know: 24 different and unique wines; All new for 2023; Good for sharing; Eclectic selection may not work for everyone.
Price: $79.99,
includes free shipping
On sale: On sale now
Ship date: Available now
Total Wine has assembled a 24-day wine tasting extravaganza with their wine advent calendar. Each day contains a 187mL mini bottle (around 5 oz) to "try 24 different wines from different US wine regions! A surprise for each day, Can you say, ’White, Red and Rosé - yes WAY!’." Perfect for those who tend to overindulge during the holidays, you can still treat yourself and be festive. I can’t seem to find any useful details about what’s inside.
Find a Total Wine near you.
2022 design is pictured
Style: Advent Calendar and 12 Days of Christmas
Bottle Size:
375mL / 12.5oz (half bottle)
Good to know: Choose 12 or 24 different wines; Half-bottles in 2023.
Price: $99.99,
shipping is extra
On sale: Already available in some warehouses
Ship date: Typically mid October
Rumor has it — Costco’s 2023 wine advent calendar is in warehouses. My own Costco Warehouse in La Quinta California didn’t have it yesterday, but I’ll update this when I see it! It is not yet available for online purchase in California.
This year you can choose between 24 half-bottles or 12 half-bottles, perfect for sharing or enjoying by yourself. An eclectic assortment of wines is included from Chile, France, Italy, Romania, Argentina, South Africa, Spain, Hungary, Bulgaria, Portugal, and Luxembourg(!). If you’re a Costco member, this is an excellent and affordable way to try wines from around the world, especially those harder-to-find countries (like, um, Luxembourg).
If you want to explore the wines before heading out to your local Costco, you can do so at this excellent website created by Flying Blue Imports, the producer of this Costco-exclusive advent calendar. This is the 2023 selection.
Available at most Costco warehouses.
Hot tip: Can’t decide? Buy two of 12 Nights of Christmas options and make your own advent calendar season!
While the fervor for adult advent calendars began with wine, it is spreading rapidly to more forms of booze — especially beer. Beer, which often comes in cans, is super easy to curate and ship in conveniently-sized boxes. Here is a selection of companies offering Beer Advent Calendars in 2023.
Style: Twelve Days of Christmas
All kinds of craft beerGood to know: 12 different craft beers; Beer tasting at home; Variety of styles means you may not like them all.
Price: $79,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
Style: Twelve Days of Christmas
IPA craft beer onlyGood to know: Perfect for IPA lovers; Beer tasting at home; These are widely available IPAs.
Price: $79,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
GiveThemBeer.com is a great resource for beer gifts. Their beer Advent Calendars are 100% craft beer from popular producers like Dogfish Head, Lagunitas, Rogue, and Oskar Blues. Choose from all kinds of styles or just IPAs — for those who love the bitter punch in the mouth that comes with this style of beer. Tip: Don’t buy this for an IPA snob, they won’t be impressed with the selection.
GiveThemBeer.com cannot ship to: AL, AK, HI, KY, MS, OK, or UT. U.S. only.
Style: Advent Calendar
Bottle Size:
12oz aluminum cans
Good to know: 12 different craft beers; Live video tastings in December; Best for one person; Price went up $10 from last year.
Price: $95,
shipping is extra
On sale: Now
Ship date: On or around November 24
Brewvana has decided to make their 12 Days of Christmas beer box adhere to the traditional meaning where the festivities begin on Christmas Day. They won’t deliver it in time to use it as a countdown to Christmas, but they make it worth your while to go old school. Each day you can discover one of Brewvana’s favorite beers from across the country, and then join them online for “interactive appraisal and discussion about that day’s brew with our panel of beer experts and special guests. We’ve also sprinkled brewery swag, stocking stuffers, and other fun gifts throughout the box!” See last year’s beers.
Brewvana cannot ship to: AL, AR, DE, IN, MD, MO, MS, NC, UT, or WV. U.S. only.
2023 preview from the manufacturer
Style: Advent Calendar
Bottle Size:
12oz aluminum cans
Good to know: 24 different beers; Live video tastings in December; Only good for one person; Price went up $10 from last year.
Price: $69.99,
includes free shipping
On sale: Typically mid October
Ship date: Typically mid October
The Brewer’s Advent Calendar is created by Original Kalea, a German company. The beer Advent Calendar box contains 24 cans of beer, all from independent craft brewers in Germany. “The styles of beer range from märzen (a lager that originated in Bavaria), to pilsner, IPA, doppelbock, hefeweizen and more.”
Available at most Costco warehouses.
If you like other booze, too, you can try one of these other options which include Whisky, canned cocktails, and hard-seltzers. This year the selection has proliferated, so if you are into spirits, this should be fun for you!
Buy this Advent Calendar
Style: Advent Calendar
Bottle Size: 50mL
Good to know: 24 different whiskies to try; A mix of well-known and unknown; Extras include two special glasses and a journal; Only good for one person.
Price: $225,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Order by Oct 25 and get it by Thanksgiving
Flaviar is a company which sells spirits online. With this unique offering, they ship 1.7oz tasting samples for each of their spirits so you can figure out which styles are for you and which aren’t without having to buy a whole bottle of anything. They got their start with Whisk(e)y but now offer Rum, Gin, Tequila, Mezcal, Brandy, Cognac, Scotch, Bourbon, and Rye memberships.
Two years ago they took us on a trip to outerspace with their Whiskies of the Galaxy-themed advent calendar. Last year they took us to the Depths of the Sea. "A carefully-curated chest of twenty-four precious finds from seven seas of Whiskey: Bourbon and Rye, Scotch and Irish, Japanese and Australian - and much more."
This year we’ll discover the Lost Art of Distillation (Amber Kingdom).
Amber Kingdom features 24 1.7oz (50mL) samples packaged with bonus gifts: a Glencairn glass, a tasting journal, and a FREE 1-year Flaviar Base Membership.
As the portions for this advent calendar are per person, I recommend ordering two calendars if you plan to share the experience. You can save $20 per calendar when you order more than one.
If you enjoy this style of tasting experience, you can get started sooner or keep the fun going later by joining the Flaviar Whiskey Club.
The Flaviar 2023 Advent Calendar can be shipped to all US states with the exception of the following: AR, DE, HI, KS, MI, MS, MT, SD, TN, UT, VT, WI, WV, and WY. US only.
Packaging update for 2023
Style: Advent Calendar
Bottle Size: 50mL
Good to know: 24 different whiskies to try; A mix of well-known and unknown; Only good for one person.
Price: $139,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
While their website sells mostly beer gifts (beer and wine were listed earlier in this article), GiveThemBeer.com has cleverly joined the boozy advent calendar bonanza and crafted several unique options for tasting spirits all the way to Christmas. Several more are listed below, but this is the Whiskey selection.
Unlike some of their other calendars, this is a true 24-day advent calendar, so you get a good breadth of whiskey to try when you buy this. There isn’t a lot of information available about what’s inside, but from what I understand, whiskey drinkers who aren’t total connoisseurs (snobs) should enjoy this tasting box.
GiveThemBeer.com cannot ship to: AL, AK, HI, KY, MS, OK, or UT. U.S. only.
Packaging update for 2023
Style: 12 Days of Christmas
Bottle Size: 50mL
Good to know: 12 different spirits; If you get bored easily, this is perfect; Only good for one person; All are well-known.
Price: $139,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
While their website sells mostly beer gifts (beer and wine were listed earlier in this article), GiveThemBeer.com has cleverly joined the boozy advent calendar bonanza and crafted several unique options for tasting spirits all the way to Christmas. Several more are listed below, but this is the general "spirits" selection which includes a variety of rum, tequila, whisk(e)y, and vodka.
GiveThemBeer.com cannot ship to: AL, AK, HI, KY, MS, OK, or UT. U.S. only.
Packaging update for 2023
Style: 12 Days of Christmas
Bottle Size: 50mL
Good to know: 12 different tequilas; A mix of well-known and unknown; Only good for one person.
Price: $99,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
While their website sells mostly beer gifts (beer and wine were listed earlier in this article), GiveThemBeer.com has cleverly joined the boozy advent calendar bonanza and crafted several unique options for tasting spirits all the way to Christmas. Several more are listed below, but this is the Tequila selection which features favorite brands like Casamigos, Don Julio, Corazon, and Cuervo 1800.
GiveThemBeer.com cannot ship to: AL, AK, HI, KY, MS, OK, or UT. U.S. only.
Buy this Advent Calendar
Style: 12 Days of Christmas
Bottle Size: 50mL
Good to know: 12 different rums; A mix of well-known and unknown; Only good for one person.
Price: $89,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
While their website sells mostly beer gifts (beer and wine were listed earlier in this article), GiveThemBeer.com has cleverly joined the boozy advent calendar bonanza and crafted several unique options for tasting spirits all the way to Christmas. Several more are listed in this section, but this is the Rum selection which features favorite brands like Bacardi, Kasama, and Zacapa.
GiveThemBeer.com cannot ship to: AL, AK, HI, KY, MS, OK, or UT. U.S. only.
Packaging update for 2023
Style: 12 Days of Christmas
Bottle Size: 50mL
Good to know: 12 different vodkas; A mix of well-known and unknown; Only good for one person.
Price: $129,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
While their website sells mostly beer gifts (beer and wine were listed earlier in this article), GiveThemBeer.com has cleverly joined the boozy advent calendar bonanza and crafted several unique options for tasting spirits all the way to Christmas. Several more are listed in this section, but this is the Vodka selection which features favorite brands like Ketel One, Frankly Organic, and Tito’s.
GiveThemBeer.com cannot ship to: AL, AK, HI, KY, MS, OK, or UT. U.S. only.
Hard seltzers (Updated packaging for 2023)
Style: Twelve Days of Christmas
Bottle Size: 12 oz cans
Good to know: 12 different hard seltzers; Great for sharing; Huge variety, you may not like them all.
Price: $69,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
Canned cocktails (Ready-to-drink)
Style: Twelve Days of Christmas
Bottle Size: 12 oz cans
Good to know: 12 different canned cocktails; Great for sharing; Huge variety, you may not like them all.
Price: $79,
shipping is extra
On sale: Preorder
Ship date: Mid November
GiveThemBeer.com is clever and they have gone all-in on boozy advent calendars this year. In addition to the aforementioned Wine Advent Calendar and Beer Advent Calendar, they also offer a Canned Cocktail option ($79) and a Hard Seltzer option ($59). Discover a variety of canned cocktails like Cazadores Margarita, Ketel One Peach Vodka Spritz, Absolut Vodka Grapefruit & Rosemary, and Mamitas Pineapple + Tequila Soda. Taste your way through Hard Seltzers like Arizona Sunrise Cherry Punch, White Claw Watermelon, Funky Buddha Blood Orange, and TRULY Mango.
Can’t decide? Get them both and upgrade yourself from Twelve Days of Christmas to a mix-and-match Advent Calendar!
GiveThemBeer.com cannot ship to: AL, AK, HI, KY, MS, OK, or UT. U.S. only.
Guide by: Jessyca Frederick
Inspired by frequent questions from friends and family about different wines and wine practices, I write Useful Wine Guides so that people I don’t know might benefit from my knowledge and desire to share information, too.