Tag Archives: advent calendar

How to Make a Beer Advent Calendar

Every year people flock to the store to pick up their annual advent calendar that is usually decorated in a cute holiday theme and filled with sub-par chocolates.  Instead of spending money on another cardboard calendar this year I decided to take it up a notch and learn how to make a beer advent calendar for the Englishman.  Not only is this calendar easy to make, it is also the perfect gift for the beer aficionado in your life. But if you’re someone who doesn’t want to buy beer at all, and make some on your own, you could head to BrewInMind.

Beer Advent Calendar Close UpThe important thing when making a beer advent calendar is to know your audience.  Do you want to make one with a bunch of cans of beer? (please say no), or how about a winter beer theme?  Or maybe a bunch of specialty beers from Belgium?  For the Englishman’s calendar I decided to go with a variety of different beers from around the world that I know the Englishman would love.

Once you have decided on your beers it’s time to go shopping.  For OC locals, I highly recommend Hi-Time Wine Cellars for all of your beer needs, but BevMo also has a decent selection as well.  Be sure to purchase 24 beers to ensure your calendar lasts the whole season!

Beer Advent Calendar BoxThe next step is procuring a box to house all your beers.  Some of the websites I looked at used cut up tubes for each beer, but since I was going with all bottles of different shapes and sizes, I needed a box.  Lucky for me the kind folks at Hi-Time had an extra box with 24 slots in it that was just waiting to be filled.

Beer Advent Calendar BoxFill your box with the beer and label them 1, 2, 3 and so on.  Then wrap your box and mark your wrapping paper with the number that corresponds with each beer bottle.  I wrapped the box and then cut out individual squares to cover each beer slot.

Now your calendar is ready to go!  Each morning open the number slot that corresponds with that day and enjoy your beer.  Since we have just started our beer advent calendar I won’t post all the beers, but here are some of the beers the Englishman has opened so far.  Once he has opened all the beers I’ll do a follow-up post with the big reveal.

Beer Advent Calendar PipPip wanted the beer for himself.  Too bad he’s too young to drink.

And that’s how to make a beer advent calendar!  Now maybe I need to make a wine one..