You’ve seen them every year around mid-October. Those massive, colorful cardboard boxes stacked high near the entrance of Costco or Aldi, promising a liquid countdown to Christmas. But let’s be honest: buying a beer advent calendar 2024 wasn't always the slam dunk it looked like on the packaging.
Last year was weird. The craft beer scene felt a little shaky. Prices were up. Some big-name calendars didn't even sell out, which is basically unheard of in the "hype" era of the 2010s. If you picked one up, you might have felt that mix of excitement and "Wait, did I just pay $80 for twelve lagers I could've bought for $20?"
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It’s a gamble. Sometimes you get a 10% Triple IPA that changes your life on a Tuesday night. Other times, you’re staring at a lukewarm, metallic-tasting pilsner from a brewery that definitely doesn't exist outside of that specific box.
The Reality of the Big Box Beer Advent Calendar 2024
Most people assume these calendars are curated by a bearded guy in a flannel shirt who hand-picked every can. Kinda. But for the massive retail versions—think the Costco Brewer’s Advent Calendar—it’s more of a logistics puzzle.
Costco’s 2024 offering was largely imported from Germany, featuring 24 cans of "bier" for about $60. That’s a steal per can. But there was a lot of chatter in the Facebook groups and on Reddit (shoutout to the r/AusBeer and r/Costco folks) about consistency. One guy in Georgia might get a totally different lineup than someone in Maine.
The 2024 Costco box supposedly featured 12 "new" beers, but some eagle-eyed drinkers noticed a lot of repeats from the 2023 Kalea lineup. If you’re a traditionalist who loves a solid Marzen or a Helles, you were probably happy. If you were looking for "cutting edge," you probably felt a bit let down.
Then there’s Aldi. Their 2024 booze lineup hit stores on November 6. They’re famous for their Wine Advent Calendar, but their beer packs are usually more of a "mystery grab bag" style. Honestly, the Aldi strategy is basically: buy it the second you see it because it’ll be gone by the time you finish your grocery run.
Why the "Travel" Theme Took Over
A huge trend for the beer advent calendar 2024 season was the "Passport" or "Travel" gimmick. Craft Beer Imports leaned hard into this with their "Planes, Trains, and Automobeers" theme.
It’s a smart move. It frames the drinking experience as a journey rather than just... drinking 24 beers alone in your kitchen. This particular set featured 24 cans from five different countries. We're talking 330ml and 355ml cans that had never been sold in Canada before. That’s the real value of an advent calendar—access. You aren't just paying for the alcohol; you’re paying for the import fees and the "I can't find this at my local liquor store" factor.
The Craft Purist’s Alternative: 12 vs. 24 Days
Is 24 beers too many? Your liver might say yes, but your holiday spirit says no.
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However, in 2024, we saw a massive surge in the "12 Days of Christmas" style boxes. City Brew Tours is the heavy hitter here. They don't even start on December 1st. They run from December 25th to January 5th.
It’s a different vibe. It’s for the people who are too busy in December to drink a heavy stout every single night. Their 2024 box included:
- Live virtual tastings on Zoom and YouTube.
- A "Beer Appraisal Chart" (for the nerds who want to rate bitterness and SRM).
- Interactive sessions with guys like Thom Roholt (who once visited 77 breweries in a day, which is just insane).
This approach solves the biggest problem with the beer advent calendar 2024—the loneliness of the "blind" tasting. When you’re drinking along with a couple hundred other people on a webinar, that $90 price tag starts to feel more like an "experience" and less like an expensive habit.
BrewDog and the "Extras" Arms Race
BrewDog, the Scottish giant that everyone loves to have an opinion on, went big with their 2024/2025 transition packs. They didn't just give you beer. They threw in a festive glass and an exclusive pin badge.
Is a pin badge going to make a mediocre IPA taste better? No. But it makes for a better gift. Their 2024 "Twelve Wolves of Xmas" and the larger 24-pack calendars are basically the gold standard for packaging. They know how to make a box look like it’s worth $100. They also included "complimentary 4-pack" codes for future orders, which is a classic move to keep you hooked into their ecosystem well into January.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Contents
Here is the spicy truth: not every beer in that calendar is a winner.
In fact, some breweries use advent calendars to offload "experimental" batches or styles that don't sell well individually. You’ll always find a few "shelf sitters" disguised as "limited editions."
The Stout Trap: You’ll often find one or two 10% ABV stouts in these boxes. They’re usually great, but if you open one on a night when you have a 6:00 AM meeting the next day, it’s a disaster.
The "Phantom" Brewery: Some of the beers in the cheaper German-import calendars are contract-brewed. This means a large factory-style brewery makes a generic lager and slaps a "festive" label on it. It’s not "craft" in the way most people think, but it usually tastes fine. Just don't expect to find a tiny cottage brewery behind every door.
How to Actually Enjoy Your Beer Advent Calendar
If you’re planning for the next round or still working through a stash, there’s a right way to do this.
- Check the Bottoms: Check the "canned on" dates. Hoppy beers (IPAs) die after 3–4 months. If your 2024 calendar was packed in July, those IPAs might taste like wet cardboard by December 20th. Drink the IPAs first, even if it breaks the "numerical order" of the doors.
- Temperature Matters: Don't keep the whole box in the fridge if it’s too big. Just pull out "Tomorrow’s Beer" the night before. But keep the box in a cool, dark place. Heat is the enemy of beer.
- Share the Burden: The best way to handle a beer advent calendar 2024 is to split it with a friend. One person takes the odd days, the other takes the even. It cuts the cost and the calorie count in half.
Looking Ahead: What’s Changing?
The "State of the Industry" (to quote a very disgruntled Reddit thread) is changing. We’re seeing more niche calendars. There are now "IPA-only" calendars and "Non-Alcoholic" calendars. BrewDog’s AF (Alcohol-Free) calendar was actually a huge seller in 2024 because, surprisingly, people want the ritual without the hangover.
We’re also seeing a shift toward "Mystery Boxes" from local bottle shops. Instead of a national brand, your local shop might hand-pack 24 bottles for you. These are almost always better quality than the Costco/Aldi versions because the shop owner’s reputation is on the line.
Actionable Next Steps:
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If you’re looking to get the most out of the remaining 2024 stock or prepping for the 2025 release cycle:
- Join the community: Follow groups like "Costco Beer Advent Calendar" on Facebook. People post spoilers and "drain pour" warnings so you don't waste your time on the bad ones.
- Save the Glassware: If you got a BrewDog or City Brew Tours box, keep that specific taster glass. It’s designed for 4oz to 8oz pours, which is perfect for trying high-ABV winter warmers without overdoing it.
- Track Your Favorites: Use an app like Untappd. It’s the only way to remember if that "Gingerbread Stout" from Day 14 was actually good or if you just liked the label.