‘I review advent calendars and this is the one I’m keeping – there’s still time to buy it’

Beauty exertion and buying writer Laura Mulley has tried and tested dozens of advent calendars this year, and this antithetic offering is 1 of the 1 that's got her astir excited

As a buying adept I'm fortunate capable to get to peek wrong tons of antithetic advent calendars up of December – including loads of the best quality advent calendars – to spot which ones are truly worthy the money. Once reviewed, I've fixed a batch of them distant to grateful friends and household members, but this is 1 that I'll decidedly beryllium keeping for myself arsenic it's a truly unsocial dainty – and you tin inactive bargain it successful clip for December.

I'm a large instrumentality of Nio's tasty and innovative letterbox cocktails, and this twelvemonth the marque has launched a 12 Moments To Share Advent Calendar, containing 24 of its fashionable single-serve pre-mixed cocktails. It usually costs £135 (which includes delivery) but for Black Friday, shoppers tin prevention £15 connected orders implicit £50, taking it down to £120; that's acold cheaper than a cocktail astatine a bar.

Here's wherefore I similar the Nio Advent Calendar truthful much...

READ MORE: ‘My favourite jewellery advent calendar present has £50 disconnected and you tin inactive get it earlier December’

READ MORE: Five quality advent calendars inactive disposable to bargain successful clip for December

Pros

• You get 2 cocktail down each door, meaning you tin stock the regular treat
• Cocktails are delicious
• Contains respective festive oregon unsocial cocktail flavours you mightiness not person tried before
• Perfect for the festive season
• A large acquisition for a foodie

Cons

• Not the cheapest
• Not each of the cocktails whitethorn beryllium to your tastes
• Box is rather flimsy and can't truly beryllium reused

I've tried and loved tons of Nio's postbox-sized cocktails successful the past – they bash some the classics and limited-edition recipes truly good – and I find the single-serve measures not lone stack up neatly successful the fridge but are besides ace useful if you conscionable privation 1 (or two) drinks without the faff of mixing them from scratch – truthful this unsocial calendar was close up my street.

Although determination are lone 12 doors alternatively of the accustomed 24, you really get 24 cocktails inside arsenic each drawer contains 2 serves. I emotion this idea, arsenic it means that you tin stock the dainty with someone, possibly enjoying a portion portion cooking meal oregon watching TV. It besides means that this advent calendar would marque a large acquisition for a couple, oregon 2 radical surviving together.

The cocktails themselves are besides ace tasty, including classics specified arsenic margaritas (my favourite) and Old Fashioneds arsenic good arsenic seasonal flavours including a Snow Daiquiri and and a Winter Sidecar. There's adjacent a little intoxicant margarita inside, for a nighttime erstwhile you privation to easiness disconnected the intoxicant (a small bit). It's worthy noting that Nio cocktails are each abbreviated (100ml) and beauteous strong, truthful possibly not for you if you similar a large solid of thing casual to drink!

Here's precisely what's inside:

• 2 x Winter Sidecar / 24.2% ABV
• 2 x Cosmopolitan / 22.0% ABV
• 2 x Margarita NEXT / 10.8% ABV
• 2 x Negroni / 22.0% ABV
• 2 x Espresso Martini / 25.7% ABV
• 2 x Christmas Margarita / 22.2% ABV
• 2 x Disaronno Sour / 16.8% ABV
• 2 x Cuban Negroni / 24.4% ABV
• 2 x Old Fashioned / 29.5% ABV
• 2 x Gin Proved / 20.2% ABV
• 2 x Revolver / 28.8% ABV
• 2 x Snow Daiquiri

The 1 insignificant downside, which I spot that a mates of different customers person remarked astir online, is the packaging. While the container is precise smart-looking and compact, the drawers are a spot fiddly to open, and are excessively flimsy to beryllium utilized again.

All successful all, though, if you're looking for an advent calendar for thing who loves nutrient oregon portion – oregon who loves getting successful the Christmas 'spirit' – this Nio advent calendar is simply a winner. Order earlier Friday and you'll get escaped adjacent time DPD transportation too, arriving conscionable successful clip to ace it unfastened connected 1 December.

Another foodie favourite I emotion this twelvemonth is Nespresso's java pods advent calendar, disposable successful some Vertuo and Original, giving you a caller flavour of java to effort each day.

And for the eventual treat, Fortnum & Mason's Fortnum's Feasting Advent Calendar takes immoderate beating, and is present reduced from £175 to £150.