How To Create a DIY Beer Advent Calendar

A 24 slot box decorated with wrapping paper works well for a DIY Beer Advent Calendar

Beer advent calendars have become very popular in the last few years and there are lots of different versions and places that you can get these. However, they do sell out very quickly. So you might need to make your own DIY beer advent calendar. I've done this for a couple of years now. So I thought I would share my tips on how I select my beers, how I make it, and what your options are when it comes to beer advent calendars.

What is a DIY Beer Advent Calendar?

A beer advent calendar from Honest Brew

What is a beer advent calendar?  It is 24 beers in a box that are a surprise to you so you can open one for every day in December leading up to Christmas. The beers are wrapped or hidden in some way, some companies produce a special box where you've got doors to open. Some places will wrap the beers for you and some will just be obscured in a box. Most online beer shops and quite a few breweries are now producing their own. They range from £50 to about £130, sometimes a little bit more depending on where you're getting it from, the quality of beers and the selection of beers that you're going to get. Quite a few started to be sold in August and have already sold out. So if you've missed the boat on this, now is the time to do your DIY beer advent calendar.

Why make a DIY Beer Advent Calendar?

You can order any beers you like for a DIY beer advent calendar

I have had advent calendars from places like BeerHawk and Honest Brew, and they're really good. But I found that as someone who is quite a way through their craft beer journey, they often have a wide selection of beer styles and quite a lot of pale beers. These styles of beers are not always to my taste. By making a DIY beer advent calendar, I could control the type of beers that are in it. So this has been my preference for the last couple of years.

What do you need to make a DIY Beer Advent Calendar?

At a minimum you will need beer and wrapping paper.

You need to start with 24 beers, you might go to 25 to treat yourself on Christmas Day.  You will also need something to put the beers in. This can range from a box that has 24 slots in it or a couple of boxes. It could be a crate. Some people use Pringles tubes on their side, and then you can slide the beers in.  It will depend on how you want your beers to stand up as to what you use for this. Or you could just have beer standing around in a section that are for your consumption throughout the festive period. You will need a way to obscure the labels or the identification of the cans and bottles. And you're going to need a way to number them as well.

What beers should you use for your DIY Beer Advent Calendar?

Seasonal beers are a good idea for a DIY beer advent calendar

There are several different ways you can do this. If you are anything like me, then you may have quite a large stash of beer amassed. So you can just select beers from your stash. Maybe ones that you've been hanging on to - we are getting into the cooler months so darker beers that you may have been ageing or you've been saving for a special occasion.  You can do an order from an online beer shop or a brewery or from your local independent bottleshop. A good way to do this is to set yourself a budget for how much you want to spend. Also, with independent beer and bottle shops, you can give them some criteria and they can select beers for you. So you might get something that will surprise you that you've never tried before.

You might want to go for seasonal beers for your DIY beer advent calendar.  There are going to be Christmas beers coming out.  Darker beers will be a popular choice - think about Imperial Stouts, Winter Warmers and classic porters at this time of year or just go for styles that you really enjoy so that you know you're going to get something tasty every day.

How To Set Up Your DIY Beer Advent Calendar

Randomly number your beers so you don’t know what you will get each day!

You're going to need to start with a receptacle to put your beers into.  A box, some tubes or a crate maybe.  I have got a 24 section box that came from a beer retailer. I have covered this with wrapping paper and put some lovely decoration on it. You can decorate this any way you want.  You could also use a crate and fill it with tissue paper or shredded paper so that it hides the bottles when you put them in it. You can make it intricate and interesting, or simple - it is up to you.  Next, you will need to obscure the labels on the bottles or cans so you don't know which one you're getting.  A good way to do this is to wrap them in tissue paper, or Christmas wrapping paper. Or you could hide them in the box if you're filling it with shredded paper. Finally, you will need to number your beers.  A piece of paper with the 24 numbers written on it and then just stuck on the bottles is a great way to do this. You may not want to do this yourself.  If you have a partner, a friend or a housemate that can mix them up so you don't know which ones you're getting is going to make this even more surprising each day throughout the festive period.

How will you store your DIY Beer Advent Calendar?

Some of the bought advent calendars come with fridge packs so you can keep the beers in your fridge. If you are concerned about the storage of your beers, you may want to leave the setup of your DIY beer advent calendar until just before the beginning of December. You may also want to put it in a cool dark place such as a cupboard or a cellar or a dark area of your house to keep your beers cool as the best way to store your beer is obviously cold.  You may need to be flexible with this if you're doing a DIY beer advent calendar. I usually open the beer first thing in the morning, then you can put it in the fridge to drink it at the proper temperature in the evening. And if you're concerned that you won't drink a beer every day throughout December, you can just add those beers to your stash and have a lovely drinking session later on or with others.

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Let me know in the comments if you're going to make your own DIY beer advent calendar!