I like Advent calendars. It’s a gift every day! But I don’t really like the bulk manufactured ones that deliver milk chocolate in different wrappers. I did discover an Irish Whiskey one a few years ago but it was $161 and every bottle is just 1oz. I decided I’d make a liquor advent calendar of slightly lower brow booze.

I went to my local BevMo and started pulling “miniatures”. That’s the industry term for those 50ml bottles. My advice is to pull weird liquors in addition to ones that you wouldn’t dream of spending money on a full bottle of. The whipped cream vodka is probably lowest rung in my lineup. Tiny Chambord the best looking. The total bill was a little over $90, which is not a good way to get 1.2L of alcohol.

My calendar went together pretty quickly with some Amazon purchases: 24-pack of mini stockings, Christmas light styled photo clips, and hooks for my main rafter. I did the best I could randomizing the placement so I couldn’t guess where a bottle was. I’d also pick them from different parts of the strip as the days progressed to maintain the weight balance. The clothespin LED lights made it really easy to get the stocking down.

My Christmas Eve pull the year I did this was Jagermeister. If mini bottles aren’t your thing, you could do a beer calendar. Pictured below is the one Pinguino made individually wrapping and numbering assorted beers housed in 4 six-pack holders.