Preorder Your Whiskey Advent Calendar Now Before It Sells Out

Flaviar Whiskey Advent Calendar

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Flaviar's sought-after Advent calendar is almost guaranteed to sell out every year, so it's a good idea to place an order as soon as you can—and 2023 preorders are open now! The theme of this year's calendar is The Lost Art of Distillation, and it promises 24 samples of 50 milliliters (about 1.7 ounces) each, plus a pair of Glencairn glasses to taste them in. The exact spirits on the list are a surprise but will include whiskies from eight different countries, with a special focus this year on American bourbon, rye, and single malt.

This calendar is fairly pricey, but it comes with a great additional benefit: a Flaviar membership, which includes a full-size bottle and three mini-samples of your choice each quarter for a year. That's more than a $300 value just by itself.

What's Included: 24 (50-milliliter) samples, 2 Glencairn tasting glasses, journal with tasting notes, 1-year Flaviar membership

Drinks By The Dram Whisky Advent Calendar

$255 at Amazon View on Thespiritco.com

You can count down to Christmas in an especially merry way with the Drinks by the Dram Whisky Advent Calendar. It contains 24 samples in cute little wax-sealed bottles just waiting to be opened. You're sure to enjoy sipping a bit of whisky each night in December.

Designed for the more intrepid whiskey explorer, this set includes traditional Scotch and Irish whiskies from brands you've definitely heard of, as well as some more unusual drams, such as a smoked rye from Finland and a French single malt.

What’s Included: 24 (30-milliliter) samples

The Really Good Whisky Company Whisky Advent Calendar

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For the Scotch lover who wants to splurge a bit, The Really Good Whisky Company Advent Calendar offers drinkers samples of 25 (a bonus over the usual 24) stellar whiskies to get into the spirit of the season. There are four levels of Scotch priciness available (plus three more with other types of whiskey) for 2023, from the Luxury Collection's array of hard-to-find single malts bottled at up to 30 years old to this...less-stratospheric collection, with a nothing-to-sneeze-at mix of single malts and blends. Each dram also includes a link to flavor notes and a guided video tasting.

What’s Included: 25 (30-milliliter) samples

Tobins Woodworking Mini Shooter Advent Calendar

$25 at Etsy

If you’re giving a whisky Advent calendar as a gift and want to personalize it yourself, this DIY version is perfect. The 14-inch fir tree is shaped from smooth Baltic birch plywood, and you can select a clear coat or charred finish. (The maker also offers an unfinished option that you can paint or stain to your taste.) Plus, you get to curate a selection of 24 mini bottles to the tastes of your loved one.

What’s Included: Calendar with 24 spaces for mini bottles; you must buy your own mini-bottles to fill it

The Spirit Co. Americana Whiskey Collection Advent Calendar

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Advent calendars are more popular in the UK on on our shores, which is part of why so many boozy ones feature Scotch. This anomaly has nothing but American-made spirits, with sweet bourbons and spicy ryes (and one single malt) from all across the country. You'll get to try sought-after spirits like Blanton's Bourbon and Rittenhouse Rye along with less-known regional spirits from Texas, Colorado, Virginia, and Maryland.

What’s Included: 24 (30-milliliter) samples

Tip Topp The Extraordinarily Tasty Advent Calendar

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The Extraordinarily Tasty Advent Calendar is designed for extraordinarily adventurous drinkers. Its 24 samples include several whiskies, plus a globetrotting assortment of other spirits—tequila and mezcal from Mexico, French cognac, rums from Guyana and Panama, and even a Brazilian gin. The box also comes with a few cocktail recipe cards to help make best use of all that variety.

What’s Included: 24 (30-milliliter) samples

Drinks by the Dram Japanese Whiskey Advent Calendar

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With a massive explosion in demand from fans around the world, many Japanese whiskies have become nearly impossible to find. This collection is an incredible opportunity to taste through many of Japan's top distilleries, including Yamazaki, Hibiki, Nikka, and Mars. It's perfect for anyone who already loves Japanese whisky or anyone who's never had the chance to try any. Reflecting the rarity of these samples, the Drinks by the Dram Japanese whisky calendar is a bit more expensive than the brand's other options.

What’s Included: 24 (30-milliliter) samples

Woodford Reserve 8 Day Cocktail Advent Calendar

$146 at Williams-Sonoma

For the mixologically minded, this calendar includes specially made mixers for four different cocktails, plus sampler bottles of four different bitters to create your own old-fashioned or other original creations. "Mixers and bitters to help any cocktail-lover through the holiday season. The bitters have all been aged in bourbon barrels, and the mixers are available in larger sizes if someone also needs easy host gifts," says The Spruce Eats commerce editor Siobhan Wallace, who's a big fan. "I especially love that this works better as a Chanukah calendar than an Advent one."

This kit does not include alcohol, which means it can ship anywhere in the U.S., but you may want to tack on a bottle of bourbon if you're giving it in person. (The mixers were designed for Woodford Reserve, but any bourbon will work.)

What's included: 4 (2-ounce) cocktail mixers and 4 (0.36-ounce) bitters samples

The Perfect Measure Lucky Dip Whisky & Spirits Advent Calendar

View on Thewhiskyexchange.com

The exact contents of this calendar are a secret, but its maker will reveal that it contains an adventurous mix of whiskey, rum, brandy, gin, and amaro. There are sure to be spirits for sipping neat and ingredients for tasty cocktails, but a few of the tantalizing samples are the famed Ichiro's Malt from Japan, under-the-radar Dailuiane Scotch, and delicious Frapin cognac. There are 24 samples for a traditional Advent calendar, plus an extra-special Christmas Day bonus bottle. (Note that this calendar is sold by a UK retailer that can ship to some but not all US states.)

What's included: 25 (30-milliliter) samples