Plain old chocolate advent calendars just don’t cut the mustard anymore. Who wants tiny choc reindeer each December morning when you can get mini cans of cocktails, cute tubs of caviar, little tubes of lipstick or wedges of cheese instead? You name it, there’s probably an advent calendar out there full of it.
With such an abundance of options, Time Out has tried and tested a load of advent calendars from some of our favourite London brands, so that we can let you know which ones are really worth it.
And our top pick for the countdown to Christmas 2025 is… MOTH’s Cocktail Advent Calendar. For £79, behind its doors are 24 ready-made cocktails ranging from 125ml to 200ml, including margaritas, espresso martinis, cosmopolitans and piña coladas.
Liv Kelly, Time Out staff writer and chief advent calendar judge, said: ‘MOTH’s 24-door cocktail cal is one hell of a way to celebrate the run-up to Christmas. Not only does it include 24 bar-strength cocktails, but open a door to find a golden can and you’ll be the winner of the company’s comp to win £1,000 worth of cocktails.’
That’s right, it’s a gift that could keep on giving. There are 10 golden cans hidden across MOTH’s thousands of calendars. If you find one of them, you’ll have to submit a video of yourself it in order to claim all that booze. Dry Jan who?
Other special mentions in our roundup of advent calendars went to the Science Advent Calendar Volume 2 (the best for kids), the Artisan Cheese Advent Calendar from Paxton & Whitfield (best for foodies) and the Teamakers of London Luxury Tea Advent Calendar (best for a budget).
See Time Out’s full list of the best London advent calendars to buy for Christmas 2025 here.
And while you’re here, check out the best London Christmas hampers to buy for 2025.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.
