What You Should Know About Costco's Festive Beer Advent Calendar

The Brewer's Advent Calendar from Original Kalea is back on Costco shelves for 2023. The 24-pack features beers brewed in Germany, including some that were brewed solely for the advent calendar. You won't find any IPAs or milk stouts among its selection as only German-style beers are featured. Examples of what you will get include Helles, bocks, pilsners, pale ales, wheat, cellar, and festival beers. 

While the calendar is well underway, you might still be able to get your hands on a case. According to Reddit users, there were still some available at their local Costco as of a few days ago, even though they've previously sold out before November is over. Interestingly, a few commenters alleged that the beers slotted for specific dates did not match what others had — suggesting that the beers may be packed in a random order instead of being specific to particular days. Whereas the original Redditor posted a photo of a white and yellow can of Marzen on day two, user BE4RCL4VV stated: "Nope, day 2 was a blue canned Helles that I can't pronounce."

The Daily Meal was not able to verify with the manufacturer whether the beers were packed randomly or not. Due to the time difference with Germany, the offices were closed at the time of writing. At this point, it is just speculation on behalf of Redditors. But you might not be able to enjoy daily matching beers with a buddy who is also counting down with the same advent calendar.

If you're not a fan of German brews then, sorry to say, but this is not the advent calendar for you and you may prefer one of Costco's other great beers instead. But if you do enjoy malty beers with middle-of-the-road body, then this will be the perfect case for counting down to Christmas. Just don't expect a wide variety of different styles like you would likely get from a sampling of U.S. brewers, as one Redditor pointed out. Other Redditors took issue with not just the selection, but the quality of the beer.

Despite complaints, Costco's beer advent calendar definitely has its loyal fans. Since it launched in the U.S., Instagram users have posted a slew of positive reviews throughout the years. One Instagram user has multiple reels featuring a beer drinker who is very happy with the calendar's selection. The takeaway here seems to be that the Brewer's Advent Calendar sold at Costco is excellent for those who can appreciate the nuance of different styles of German beer.

If you're faithfully buying the Brewer's Advent Calendar at Costco each year then you've probably noticed quite a few repeats by now. This seems pretty reasonable considering there are 24 spaces to fill in the case of beer. But a good portion of the beers are also switched out from year to year. According to a quote on the beer blog Daj Mi Pivo, Maximilian Frank from the Beer Tasting Club Office in Salzburg — where Original Kalea has an office — some of the beers are "... completely new to the market and initially available exclusively in our calendar, even for Germans and Austrians!" 

Overall, the beer advent calendar sold at Costco has a pretty strong fan base. Some might even say it is cult-like. It definitely seems worth trying if you can still get your hands on a case — though you will have some catching up to do!

The information for this article came from thorough research on various social media platforms. Specifically, Reddit and Instagram were referenced to determine how people are reacting to the Brewer's Advent Calendar. The Daj Mi Pivo blog and Original Kalea website also provided useful information regarding this product.