Yes. I know it’s only October. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you but if you want a quality advent calendar for the holidays, you have to order them right now. They’re so popular that as soon as they go up for pre-order in October, they’re gone before the end of the month. If you wait till November, you risk missing out entirely.
We’re not talking those drugstore specials that seem to show up every holiday season, chock-full of questionably waxy chocolate. These advent calendars are experiences in and of themselves, meant to be an event every night leading up to Christmas.
Merchoid Eight Electronic Games Advent Calendar
The first calendar on this list is for anyone who loves electronics or wishes that they knew a bit more about how electronics work. Inside is a cacophony of breadboards, wires, resistors and other electrical components that come with instructions on how to create eight different electronic games. Granted, these games are extremely simple, consisting of LED lights and speaker chirps but there’s a certain satisfaction with playing something that you’ve built yourself. And even if it doesn’t keep your attention long, just keep opening doors and a new build and a new challenge awaits. It’s a truly unique advent calendar that goes beyond the standard. Grab one from Merchoid for $45.
Flaviar The Lost Art of Distillation Advent Calendar
You want your advent calendar to be an event? Look no further than Flaviar. Their Lost Art of Distillation Whiskey Advent Calendar will take you through a 24-night tasting journey. Each night has a 1.7oz pour of carefully curated, award-winning whiskeys from around the globe, with a tasting journal with information about each spirit, with room for you to take notes of your own. Four of the spirits are new releases for 2023 from top distillers. And these aren’t bottom shelf whiskeys, but samples of bottles that go for $150 or more.
You also get 2 Glencairn glasses so that you don’t have to drink alone. Even better, you’ll get a 1-year Flaviar Black membership so that you can get access to specially-priced bottles each month. As you might guess, you’ll pay a premium for the experience. The Flaviar advent calendar is $250 on their website.
Papier Sationary Advent Calendar
Papier has created what might be the loveliest advent calendar on this list. If you’re not familiar, they deal in fine stationary and desk accessories. So it should come as no surprise that the calendar itself is a wonderfully organized series of drawers and boxes, no perforated punch cardboard here.
It’s an advent calendar that you could use as a desk organizer after the holidays. Which makes sense, as you’ll get 24 days of everything you need for a perfect desk set, such as notebooks, ink, pens, washi tape, envelopes, and more. In addition to Papier’s in-house artists, they’ve teamed up with up-and-coming designers to create something truly unique. In a world where everything is digital, Papier embraces the analog. Get your set from the Papier website for $140.
Vosges Chocolat Calendar of Advent
If you insist on having chocolate in your advent calendar, then make it good chocolate. Vosges Haut-Chocolate makes some of the most esoteric, delicious candy concoctions around. Their advent calendar is no different with ingredients like Himalayan sea salt, lemon verbena, fermented almonds, Reishi mushrooms, and more enrobbed in multiple varieties of chocolate, from 45% milk to 72% dark. And it all comes in a lovely, multi-sensory experience with holiday lights and orchestral music. This year, for their 25th anniversary, they’ve stuffed an extra day of chocolate into a 25th door. Pre-order yours now from the Vosges website for $300.
Mantic Games: BarRoom Brawl
One of the biggest complaints about advent calendars is that once the holidays are over, you’re left with nothing but empty calendar doors. Mantic Games is doing something different by giving you an entire board game that you assemble over the course of 24 days. BarRoom Brawl has you and up to three other players attempting to get food and drink through a busy tavern, while avoiding the barkeep and his bouncer. You’ll get six resin character miniatures, exclusive to this calendar, plus terrain, tokens, dice, and the game rules. The calendar cover is the game board. I love the concept because you get a little bit of time between the reveal of each mini to get your characters painted and ready to go for your first game on the 25th. It’s a fantastic idea and one that I hope Mantic Games revisits. There are less than 50 copies still available directly from the Mantic Games website for a mere $40.
Read the full article here
