Eight great food and drink-filled advent calendars for Christmas 2021

Counting down to Christmas needn't be stressful, not when you're armed with an advent calendar containing 24 different tastes of tea or dozens of tiny bottles of gin. Yep, it's definitely easy to get in the spirit of things with one of these rum-tastic or choc-a-block calendars in the house. Order now to make sure it's here when 1 December rolls around.

Liquor Loot

Mad for gin? Wild for whisky? Or do you dabble across the wide world of spirits? Whatever your tastes, Liquor Loot has a calendar of 30ml pours to put a fresh twist on your cocktail hour. Broaden your horizons as you try gin from Spain, whisky from Taiwan or, in the assorted Spirits Loot Calendar, drops from Venezuela, Martinique and Poland. Tasting notes are included to guide you.
Gin calendar $299 for 24 x 30ml tasters; whisky calendars from $329 (various sizes); mixed spirits $299 for 24 x 30ml tasters. ginloot.com.au

T2 Tea

Go beyond sencha and orange pekoe with the 24 varieties of tea that are at your fingertips in T2's always-popular advent calendar. Loose-leaf purists and crusaders for convenience are both looked after, although the selection for those brewing in a pot includes some slightly more off-the-wall creations like berry meringue, mulled wine and eggnog – all sure to have you counting down the days till the 25th.
$45 for each. t2tea.com

Haigh's Chocolates

Feel the festive atmosphere instantly magnify when you hang one of Haigh's fabric advent calendars in the living room. You can fill it with the perfectly proportioned chocolate squares that make up its special advent calendar pack or choose your own favourites from their rang, like freckles and frogs. And if you feel like living it up (or really spoiling someone), there's also the luxury calendar for a tidy $1075. That kind of money buys 24 handmade chocolates including one with a Melbourne Gin-infused fudge centre, all encased in a handmade red box with embellished gold foil details.
$50 for fabric calendar and 24 chocolates bundle, from $24.50 separately. haighschocolates.com.au

Beer Cartel

So you want to see what's happening in the craziest corners of craft brewing? This 12-can line-up is a great way to do it, as you (responsibly) count down the days to Christmas. Find a new favourite as you work your way through Nomad's Freshie, which captures that beer-by-the-ocean feeling with its mix of salt water and pepper, One Drop's XPA that's built for sunny days or Yulli's fruity Amanda IPA.
$89.99 for 12 x 375ml cans. beercartel.com.au

Good Pair Days

This slick wine delivery service has made a name for itself by making wine pairing and drinking widely as approachable as possible. That ethos continues with its 12 Wines of Christmas, a secret selection of 12 drops that will see you through barbecues, impromptu drop-ins and all the other silly season fun. There are tasting notes and recipes to give you the full Good Pair Days experience, and three different boxes to suit casual drinking though to serious splurge time.
From $295 for 12 x 750ml bottles and a picnic rug and travel knife set. goodpairdays.com

Koko Black

Twenty-five of the Melbourne chocolatier's best pralines have been selected for this beautifully festive box, with fun flavours like spiced eggnog and Christmas pudding alongside more traditional chocolates spanning white, dark and milk. A kids' version with simpler, smaller treats is also on offer. These will sell quickly.
$69.00 for All-Star calendar, $39.90 for kids' version. kokoblack.com

Drinks by the Dram

The wax-sealed drams that this UK company specialises in, offering whisky enthusiasts a way to try before they buy and develop their palate, have been bundled into very pretty calendars for Christmas. And there's truly something for everyone across the range, whether you dig Japanese whisky, single malts, old world examples or bourbon.
From $185 for 24 x 30ml tasters, drinksbythedram.com

Booze Bud's Beer Calendar

You won't just be counted down to Christmas one craft beer at a time; the team at Booze Bud will be there to toast the big day with you, too. Their 25-box selection includes everything from hazy IPAs to to imperial stouts made by the likes of Hop Nation, Capital, Moon Dog, Akasha, Bad Shepherd and more. Plus there are six brews made especially for Booze Bud so you can gloat to all your friends about what you got (read: bought yourself) for Christmas. And if beer's not your thing, check out the cider calendar which features plenty besides just apple.
$114.99 for 25 x 375ml cans. boozebud.com