We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. The 8 Best Whiskey Advent Calendars If you love bourbon, rye, Scotch, or single malt, these make perfect holiday gifts. By Jason Horn Jason Horn With a culinary degree and nearly 20 years of food-writing experience, Jason Horn has spent his entire career covering food and drinks. He's Food & Wine's resident knife expert and has tested hundreds of blades in dozens of categories, along with everything from pots and pans to cold brew coffee makers. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on November 12, 2025 In This Article View All In This Article Top Picks Reviews More Food & Wine Advent Calendar Gifts Our Expertise Credit: Master of Malt One of the best things about the holiday season is the numerous opportunities it presents to spoil your favorite people. And if those favorite people enjoy a tipple or two, finding the perfect gift is pretty straightforward. There are lots of drinks Advent calendars out there, but for fans of bourbon, Scotch, single malt, and their cousins, one of the best whiskey Advent calendars is an ideal choice. If you’re looking to get a jump start on all those warm, fuzzy feelings this season, placing an order now will remove the stress later. In addition to the perfect cocktail glasses or whiskey decanter, one of our favorite gifts for whiskey lovers is an assortment of spirits with a new sample for (almost) every day of December. Our picks are packed to the brim with bespoke nips from some of the best distilleries in the world, for a fireside sip sure to keep every whiskey lover warm. But these popular holiday gift picks often sell out early—our advice: Order ASAP. Top Picks Best Overall Whiskey Advent Calendar: Flaviar Whiskey Advent Calendar at Flaviar Jump to Review Best Splurge Whiskey Advent Calendar: The Spirit Co. The Greatest Old & Rare Advent Calendar at Thespiritco.com $10,256 Jump to Review Best Bourbon Advent Calendar: Drinks by the Dram Bourbon & American Whiskey Advent Calendar at Masterofmalt.com $154 Jump to Review Best Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar: Whisky With Us Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar at Thewhiskyworld.com $150 Jump to Review Best Worldwide Whiskey Advent Calendar: Drinks by the Dram World Whisky Advent Calendar at Masterofmalt.com Jump to Review Best Unusual Whiskey Advent Calendar: That Boutique-y Whisky Company Advent Calendar 2025 Edition at Masterofmalt.com $154 Jump to Review Best Whiskey Advent Calendar Variety: The Mixologer Advent Calendar at Themixologer.com $250 Jump to Review Best Whiskey Advent Calendar With Full-Size Bottles: Taster's Club Advent Calendar at Tastersclub.com Jump to Review Best Overall Whiskey Advent Calendar Flaviar Whiskey Advent Calendar Credit: Flaviar View on Flaviar Flaviar's whiskey Advent calendar sells out early every year, and for good reason. Its set of samples includes a delicious assortment of rarities from around the world, with generous vials of each. The 2025 edition features an exclusive blend of American rye whiskey and French armagnac you can't taste any other way, along with whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, Finland, and China. Flaviar's selection is always impeccable, and it leans heavily on small brands even the geekiest whiskey expert might not have heard of. Additionally, the packaging of the Flaviar calendar enhances the experience. This year's edition has a "Flaviar Airlines" theme, evoking the glamorous era of air travel in the 1950s and '60s. The included "passport" features tasting notes and distillery information for each sample, plus you get a pair of Glencairn tasting glasses — our favorite whiskey glass. Flaviar offers hundreds of spirits of all kinds, including tasting boxes and gift subscriptions, and full-sized bottles of every sample are available for purchase. Advent calendar buyers even get an exclusive discount. The calendar also comes with a yearlong Flaviar Black membership, which includes price cuts and monthly specials. Includes: 24 (50-milliliter) samples, 2 Glencairn glasses, tasting booklet, Flaviar Black membership Best Splurge Whiskey Advent Calendar The Spirit Co. The Greatest Old & Rare Advent Calendar Credit: The Spirit Co. $10,256 at Thespiritco.com You can make your favorite whiskey lover very happy with this indulgent collection. It's pricey, but it features spirits you probably won't be able to find anywhere else. The list includes Scotch, Irish, American, Japanese, and Taiwanese whiskies, most aged more than 20 years. (The eldest of the bunch is a 35-year-old blended Scotch and a 34-year-old Mannochmore single malt.) Even the younger selections in the Old & Rare set are indeed rare, featuring a special edition of the legendary Japanese Ichiro's Malt, a barrel-strength Blanton's bourbon, and a Four Roses single-barrel bourbon bottled way back in 2014. (If this collection isn't indulgent enough, there's also the Drinks by the Dram Very Old and Rare Whisky Collection, which features samples of some of the most highly collectible spirits in the world, in a handmade carrying case — for more than $11,000.) Includes: 25 (30-milliliter) samples, 2 tasting glasses Best Bourbon Advent Calendar Drinks by the Dram Bourbon & American Whiskey Advent Calendar Credit: Master of Malt $154 at Masterofmalt.com Drinks by the Dram pretty much invented the boozy Advent calendar, offering an astonishing range of specialized editions focused on everything from flavored vodkas to sherry cask–aged whiskies. The company may be British, but its American whiskey Advent selections are powerful. They're mostly bourbons this year, including classics like Michter's, Maker's Mark, and Four Roses, but there are plenty of more adventurous selections, too. One highlight is St. George Baller, a Japanese-style single malt made in California, which is one of my personal favorites of all time. The 25 samples include something to satisfy any lover of bourbon or rye, as well as fans of obscure and experimental spirits. Includes: 25 (30-milliliter) samples Best Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar Whisky With Us Scotch Whisky Advent Calendar Credit: The Whisky World $150 $144 at Thewhiskyworld.com Whisky With Us spells it whisky and not whiskey, which is how you know the brand is most focused on Scotch. Its calendar includes blends, Highland single malts, and peated whiskies that represent the full range of Scottish spirits. Even the biggest Scotch nerd should find something new here, but it's not too intimidating for a beginner, either. The 25-day calendar includes one more whisky than most, with an extra-special sample for the final day that's 30 years old and packaged in a traditional Christmas cracker. The Whisky With Us calendar also comes with access to expert-led tasting videos. It's not only a generous selection of Scotch but also a month's worth of education. Includes: 25 (30-milliliter) samples, Christmas cracker Best Worldwide Whiskey Advent Calendar Drinks by the Dram World Whisky Advent Calendar Credit: Master of Malt View on Masterofmalt.com Scotland, Ireland, Japan, and the United States are perhaps the most famous whiskey producers, but distinctive and delicious spirits are made all around the globe. And this adventurous Advent calendar is a great introduction to all the variety the world has to offer. Inside, you'll find single malts from India, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, and Wales; ryes from England and Finland; and a Danish blended whiskey. That's in addition to other hard-to-find spirits, such as an Irish whiskey aged in Bordeaux casks, a barrel-strength Nikka Japanese whisky, and a Canadian blend from a Nova Scotia distillery co-founded by Kiefer Sutherland. It's a globetrotting whiskey journey in a reasonably priced box. Includes: 25 (30-milliliter) samples Best Unusual Whiskey Advent Calendar That Boutique-y Whisky Company Advent Calendar 2025 Edition Credit: That Boutique-y Whisky Company $154 at Masterofmalt.com As the name suggests, That Boutique-y Whisky Company is an independent bottler specializing in some pretty weird and wild stuff. It sources barrels from now-closed distilleries, creates custom blends unlike any seen before, and generally likes to break the rules. Its Advent calendar includes two dozen samples of these one-of-a-kind whiskies. The full lineup is a secret, but the 2025 edition features a Dutch single malt, a sherry cask–aged corn whiskey from Canada, a World Whisky Blend combining spirits from around the globe, and a 25-year-old single-cask Glenrothes single malt Scotch, for good measure. Includes: 24 (30-milliliter) samples Best Whiskey Advent Calendar Variety The Mixologer Advent Calendar Credit: The Mixologer $250 at Themixologer.com This is a choice for the more adventurous drinker. The Mixologer's Advent calendar is half-bourbon, but the other 12 days' samples include vodka, gin, rum, tequila, and cognac. Some of these are intended for sipping, while others are designed for mixing into cocktails. It's a way to sample a variety of whiskey and non-whiskey spirits while also practicing your mixology skills. Includes: 24 (50-milliliter) samples Best Whiskey Advent Calendar With Full-Size Bottles Taster's Club Advent Calendar Credit: Taster's Club View on Tastersclub.com Want your whiskey Advent calendar to last all year long? Try Taster's Club's subscription. Rather than mini-bottles every day of December, this "calendar" includes a standard 750-milliliter bottle once a month. (The first bottle arrives in December as a holiday gift, of course.) The whiskies featured aren't revealed until they arrive, but you can trust Taster's Club's picks — it's one of our favorite whiskey subscriptions for any time of year. Each shipment comes with an extensive guide including tasting notes and information about the distillery. Includes: 12 (750-milliliter) bottles More Food & Wine Advent Calendar Gifts The 17 Best Chocolate Advent Calendars The 20 Best Food Advent Calendars to Order Ahead of the Holidays The 10 Best Tea Advent Calendars These Wine Advent Calendars Always Sell Out, So Get Yours While You Can Our Expertise Food & Wine senior writer Jason Horn has been writing about food and drinks for nearly 20 years, including as an editor at Liquor.com and spirits columnist at Playboy. He's a big fan of peated Scotch, especially the sweet-and-smoky Caol Ila. Explore more: What to Buy Gift Guides Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit