We loved the Greene King Dadvent calendar beer fridge for its brilliant design, great value and fantastic selection of beers from the brilliant Greene King. Where flurries of hop flakes deck the halls, filling the air with the crisp, delicious aromas of pineapple, citrus and papaya. Founded in 1996, BeerAdvocate is the go-to beer resource for millions of consumers each month, the benchmark for beer reviews, one of the largest and oldest online beer communities, and host of world-class beer fests. There’s a great range of tipples here (all of which are vegan), including IPAs, stouts and a couple of ciders.

There are 12 beers in total, ranging from classic Greene King tipples, such as Old Speckled Hen, through to lesser-known beers, such as the Ice Breaker pale ale. And despite the bold hoppy flavours and festive spices, the beer remains incredibly drinkable and refreshing. polarising IPAs, this bundle is a flavoursome journey ideal for craft beer enthusiasts or new entrants to the crafty scene. Raise a glass of these Christmas beers, share with friends, family and strangers and sit back and enjoy as the world descends into a fairy-light fuelled frenzy. Festive fun comes in the form of the gorgeous Tinsel Toes Christmas ale, and the bottles were all generously sized 500ml affairs.Let’s face it – every Star Wars film will inevitably be played at least once over the festive period, so, this quirky advent calendar is actually pretty festive. The IPAs were particularly delicious, and we highly rate the Galactic pale ale, a classic American IPA. The range of producers is pretty impressive too, with inclusions coming from more established breweries, such as Northern Monk and Le Chouffe, but also from smaller microbreweries. All of the bottles are hefty 550ml jobs (there are a small number of cans, too) and there are several limited editions and wonderfully weird options – our favourite of which is Monty Python’s Holy Grail pale ale, tempered, apparently, over burning witches.

The traditionalists in us loved the Jaipur pale ale, while beers such as the mocha stout are sure to appeal to those keen on a little hops-related experimentation.The box’s design is simple but incredibly classy, with a glossy image of a pine cone and ribbon-adorned Christmas wreath. Simcoe, arguably our favourite hop, carries this beer - pine, tropical fruit and bitterness are its specialities.

We loved the packaging, too, with a snow-dusted night sky (featuring 24 circular doors that were easy to open) setting the wintry scene.Opt for the growing number of calendars that feature snacks, too, including munchies such as pork crackling and roasted fava beans. The slogan-covered packaging was a particular highlight, and one that makes it perfect for gifting (our favourite was the reference to a “patented thirst-targeting system”). Over time an old cooked cabbage flavor appears, like an old stew that has been sitting in the fridge. Finally, you can’t go wrong with John Lewis’s beer and snacks advent calendar, which contains a brilliant variety of nibbles and beers. We’d never heard of Capital Crisps before, but its salt and vinegar crisps were absolutely delicious, while other munchies contained in the calendar include yoghurt-coated raisins, nuts and roasted fava beans.

The tipples come from brilliant breweries located in the UK, and it’s another calendar that does especially well when it comes to the range of beers, which is truly diverse. Although we can’t help but feel the calendar itself could have a more festive design, we loved the addition of a puzzle on the back (because everyone loves a puzzle at Christmas), while the 12 beers covered all bases (the Mighty Swine Lager was particularly moreish). Pineapple, citrus and papaya; single-hopped with Simcoe, Hoppy Christmas is an anti-festive IPA, redolent with summery flavours. We’ve got a pet hate for advent calendar doors that are fiddly to open, so we loved the push tabs on this calendar, which made the doors easy to open. After all, if there’s one period of the year when you can drink a beer a day (although ideally not before breakfast), it’s Christmas.There is a moderate bitterness which comes across as overcooked herbs; it is like eating a bay leaf that has been left in the pan for too long. The mouthfeel is smooth and velvety, with just the right amount of carbonation to keep things interesting. Finally, rather than offloading a lorry-load of presents onto your nearest and dearest on Christmas Day, why not get in there early and gift them a beer advent calendar on 1 December? Finally, there’s no denying a certain amount of drinking was involved, and, as big fans of beer, with a weakness for anything hop-related, we like to think there’s no better judge for the job.